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59th Congress, | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, j Document 

Ist Session. j | No. 690. 


HEARINGS 










a 


'™'!E (IF Ti ('(isiilirrEE iw Naval Afeairs 


HOUSE OF REPEESEXTATIYES 


AT THE 


UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY, 

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, 


ON 


THE SUBJECT OF HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


WASHINGTON: 


GOVERNMENT PRINTII^q ,,OFFICE. , 


1906. 









(House Concurrent Resolution No. 26.) 

Resolved by the House of Re}tresentaLives {the Senate concurriny), That there be printed 
live thousand copies of the hearings before the subcorninittee of the Committee on 
Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, Fifty-ninth Congress, at the United 
States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on the subject of hazing at the Naval 
Academy, with accompanying report, three thousand five hundred copies for the 
House of Representatives and one thousand live hundred for the Senate. 

Passed April 10, 1906. 

2 

















HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 




HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
NAVAL AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., February 15, 1906 — 1.30 o'clock p . m. 

Present: Alessrs. Vreeland (chairman), Loud, Gregg, Padgett, and 
Dawson. 

STATEMENT OF REAR-ADMIRAL JAMES H. SANDS, U. S. NAVY. 

The Chairman. How long have you been superintendent of the 
academy ? 

Admiral Sands. Since the 1st of July, 1905. 

The Chairman. Who was your immediate predecessor? 

Admiral Sands. Admiral Brownson, from November, 1902, to 
June, 1905. 

The Chairman. This committee is a subcommittee of the Naval 
Committee of the House of Kepresentatives. We are sent here for the 
purpose of obtaining such information as we can, relative to the 
discipline and management of the Naval Academy, particularly as 
such discipline and management may pertain to the practice of 
hazing, or bear upon it. Will you give us. Admiral, in your own 
way, a statement of the official organization under your control, your 
methods of promulgating your orders and of maintaining discipline by 
means of naval officers under your control ? 

Admiral Sands. The orders which the superintendent may find it 
necessary to give in order to maintain discipline, are issued to the 
commandant of midshipmen, who conveys them to his assistants, 
four of whom are discipline officers, and one an officer detailed for the 
business matters of the midshipmen. Each of these discipline officers 
has under his immediate supervision 3 companies of midshipmen, 
of the 12 which form the brigade. They are called officers in charge 
of divisions. Each has his office as near the middle of his division as 
it is convenient to place it, and at that office he hears all complaints, 
judges of all reported offenses pertaining to his division, and trans¬ 
mits the results of his investigations, as far as they pertain to his 
division, to the commandant. In addition to this duty he has one 
day in four—there being only four of these officers—a tour of twenty- 
four hours, during which he is responsible for the conduct of the mid¬ 
shipmen both day and night. He is in actual sight, during all the 



4 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


working hours, of midshipmen, and he sleeps under the roof with 
them, ready to be called at any moment when his presence may be 
necessary by those who are watching during the night. The building 
is Bancroft Hall, and the officer in charge sleeps in the hall, and has 
the entire supervision of the building with its 500 rooms on several 
floors. In addition to this duty as officer in charge, once in four days 
the officers in charge of divisions are responsible for the care and good 
order of all the rooms occupied by their divisions. They must make 
frequent inspections and see that everything is kept in exact accord¬ 
ance with the details of the regulations. They are occupied in these 
inspections every forenoon from 9 to 12. All reports are sent to the 
officer of the division concerned, and by him examined, passed upon 
and his opinion sent in writing, if necessary, to the comniandant of 
minshipmen, who, if the case admits of any doubt at all, investigates 
himself, and if it is at all serious, brings the result of his investigations, 
in writing, to the superintendent, who in turn examines every offense 
and the demerits that have been awarded, and approves or disap¬ 
proves as he thinks proper under the circumstances. The person 
making the original report signs the report; the person by whom it is 
first investigated signs it; the commandant of midshipmen affixes 
his signature, and th^e approval is signed by the superintendent, and 
then it is recorded as a finished act. 

The Chairman. Then for disciplinary purposes you have the 
commandant of midshipmen and four officers besides? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; that is al . Of course the Navy Regula¬ 
tions require that every officer who witnesses an infraction of the 
regulations shall report the same, but that is only a casual thing. It 
applies to all professors and instructors in the naval service. 

The Chairman. But for purposes of enforcing the regulations of 
the academy you have these five men. 

Admiral Sands. Those five men; yes, sir. 

The Cha rman. I notice two sets of regulations. First, the Regu¬ 
lations for the Interior Discipline and Government of the United 
States Naval Academy, and the other. Regulations of the United 
States Nava Academy, dated 1901 and 1902, respectively. All of 
the regulations are contained in these two books, except such as are 
contained in orders that are delivered from time to time. 

Admira Sands. And the Naval Regulations, under which all 
officers of the Navy serve. 

The Chairman. Are a 1 of the midshipmen provided with copies of 
these j egulations ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; they all have those. 

The Chairman. Has any set of regulations been printed and issued 
since 1902? 

Admiral Sands. I have finished revising regulations which I 
intend to publish, but which are not yet ready for the printer; but 
nothing else has been promulgated except by orders. Changes have 
been made by orders which have been published in the bulletin board. 

The Chairman. Have the orders which have been issued and 
posted contained anything in reference to hazing ? 

Admiral Sands. Nothing under the name, but the order which I 
gave, first verbally, when the brigade was reorganized about the 
middle of October, and subsequently published by authority of the 
Secretary of the Navy about the middle of December, stated that 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


5 


the cadet officers and petty officers were on duty at all times, day 
and night, and were responsible for the preservation of order and 
the maintenance of discipline, the suppression of all disorders, with¬ 
out naming hazing at all. “All disorders,’’ included hazing, as it 
did every other disorder, and they were allowed no discretion in the 
matter of reporting. In cases of doubt they were to refer the matter 
to the divisional officers and abide by their decision. 

The Chairman. Admiral, in March, 1903, an act of Congress was 
passed wliich provided as follows: 

That the Superintendent of the Naval Academy shall make such rules, to be approved 
by the Secretaiy of the Na\^, as will effectually prevent the practice of hazing; and any 
cadet found guilty of participating in or encouraging or countenancing such practice shaU 
be summarily expelled from the academy, and shall not thereafter be reappointed to the 
Corps of Cadets or be eligible for appointment as a commissioned officer m the Army or 
Navy or Marine Corps until two years after the graduation of the class of which he was a 
member. 

You have only been here since the commencement of the present 
school year, in October last ? 

Admiral Sands. No; I was here from July 1, 1905, but the school 
year did not begin until October 14. 

The Chairman. The cadets were here? 

Admiral Sands. The fourth class were here during July, and from 
July on to October. 

The Chairman. Were the other classes here? 

Admiral Sands. The others were not here. There was only the 
one class, the fourth class. 

The Chairman. Can you tell us whether, since March 3, 1903, any 
new and special rules and regulations have been made by the Super¬ 
intendent of the acadeihy for the purpose of complying with this 
act of Congress of March 3, 1903? 

Admiral Sands. There is nothing of record in my office; but I 
have learned from the testimony of a midshipman brought before 
the board of investigation, that the former Superintendent had a 

P ersonal agreement with the midshipmen that there should be no 
azing; and it is stated that there was no physical hazing after that 
agreement was made. 

The Chairman. Can you tell us about the date when that agree¬ 
ment is said to have been made? 

Admiral Sands. It was said to have been made in 1903, probably 
at the beginning of the school year. In fact, it was stated, I think, 
if my memory serves me, that it was the first day of their return 
from the cruise, which would be September 1. 

The Chairman. September, 1903? 

Admiral Sands. September, 1903. 

The Chairman. But aside from the agreement of the Superintend¬ 
ent with the members, I suppose of the senior class- 

Admiral Sands. Of the senior class, apparently. I know of no 

other. It was the senior-class men, I think- 

Mr. Gregg. The second class? 

Admiral Sands. No; I can not answer that at all. 

Mr. Gregg. The second class? 

Admiral Sands. I am not able to answer that. I do not know 
who was included in it. 

The Chairman. You do know, from the evidence taken by the 




6 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


investigating committee, that an agreement was made—with which 
class ? 

Admiral Sands. The class of the person who was giving the testi¬ 
mony, whose name was Allan J. Chantry, the man who passed No. 
1 in the class that just graduated. 

The Chairman. His testimony was that an agreement was made 
by Superintendent Brownson with what class? 

Admiral Sands. I understood with his class 

The Chairman. What was his class? 

Admiral Sands. They graduated in 1906, this year; therefore 
when they returned from the cruise, he must have been a tliird-class 
man. 

The Chairman. The agreement then was made with members of 
the third class? 

Admiral Sands. I gathered that from the testimony. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any agreement having been made 
by Superintendent Brownson with any of the other classes ? 

Admiral Sands. No; That is the only agreement I know of. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any orders or regulations having 
been issued by Admiral Brownson upon the subject of hazing? 

Admiral Sands. There are none of record, at all. I have had my 
files searched and can find nothing. 

The Chairman. Admiral, the commencement of this school year 
was in October, and then all of the classes were here and ready to 
commence the school work. Can you tell us when the epidemic of 
diphtheria broke out or existed here in the school ? 

Admiral Sands. Approximately September 15. 

The Chairman. About the commencement, or just before the 
commencement, of the school year. 

Admiral Sands. Yes; I had to postpone the opening of the acad¬ 
emy, first one week, and then followed by another. 

The Chairman. Admiral, when did you first find that hazing ex¬ 
isted here at the academy after your advent ? 

Admiral Sands. With the nearly fatal injury to Midshipman 
Kimbrough. 

The Chairman. What date was that? 

Admiral Sands. That, I should think, was about the 10th of 
December—about the 10th of December. 

The Chairman. Until that time did you suppose that there was no 
hazing in the school ? 

Admiral Sands. I was positive there was no hazing; but I was 
informed by an anonymous communication that there was hazing. 
It seemed to me so preposterous, the charges that were made— 
without mentioning any names of individuals—that although I 
directed the commandant to make an investigation and report, I 
was fully prepared for his answer, which was that he had asked all 
the officers and they said it was simpl}^ impossible that anybody 
could do what they were accused of doing. He said he had inquired 
among the midshipmen and found that there was no suspicion of any 
such thing. The President apparently received a letter on the same 
subject from the same person and the Secretary of the Navy also. 
I replied to the name given in this anonymous communication—the 
way I found it was anonymous was because the letter was not deliv¬ 
ered—and on one of my visits to the Department the Secretary 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


7 


handed me the letter to the President, the handwriting of wliich I 
recognized. I told him I had a letter of similar purport from the same 
person, and that I had inquired into it, and as I suspected there was 
no foundation for such a report, as the witnesses were said to be these 
irresponsible 12-year old, dirty negro waiters who were serving the 
midshipmen at the table. 

Mr. Dawson. About what was the date of this letter? Do you 
remember ? 

Admiral Sands. The date of this letter was about—some time 
after the 1st ot January. It was about a month before this thing 
turned up. 

Mr. Dawson. Then, was that after the Kimbrough affair or before? 

Admiral Sands. It was before the Kimbrough affair; about a 
month before the Kimbrough affair. 

Mr. Dawson. Then, it was in November? 

Admiral Sands. November, of course. Not January. That is 
what I meant. It was just about a month before the Kimbrough 
affair. Scratch out January, please. The Secretary, however, 
was not content, and he replied to this communication. It was to 
one Moses Green, of Annapolis. Not hearing anything more, when 
I returned to Annapolis I asked the postmaster if that letter of 
mine had been delivered to him, and he sent me back m}^ letter and 
also the letter from the Secretary of the Navy, saying there was 
no such person in Annapolis. I sent those on to the Navy Depart¬ 
ment, and have heard nothing of that since. 

Then, when the Kimbrough affair came about, I—no, my memory- 
serves me better. About two days before the Kimbrough affair 
the commandant came to me and said that he had reason to believe, 
on further inquiry, that there was some truth in the reports made 
in this anonymous communication, and I directed him to continue 
his investigation, and let me know the result. 

The first meeting of the board of investigation was unsuccessful. 
There appeared to be reluctance on the part of all the midshipmen to 
give testimony, and before the day was over it was ascertained that 
some one was trying to prevent them from giving testimony. 

Mr. Dawson. May I ask, right here, who convened the board of 
investigation ? Will you state that, so it will go into the record ? 

Admiral Sands. I convened the board of investigation at once, 
giving them directions to begin with the fourth class of the first 
company ot the brigade, and to go through the entire brigade 
wherever the testimony led them, and to report the results and 
make such recommendation as would forever prevent, I think it 
was, ‘The cowardly and ungentlemanly practice of hazing;’’ some¬ 
thing of that kind. I do not know the exact wording. 

Mr. Dawson. Was that in the instruction to the board? 

Admiral Sands. That was in the instruction to the board. I do 
not know the exact wording. The result of the first days’ work 
of investigation showed that there was some attempt made to pre¬ 
vent a full account on the part of the young men as to what was 
going on. Thereupon I communicated with the Navy Department, 
and received authority to administer oaths to the witnesses—the 
law requires that it must be done by the authority of the Navy 
Department—and I dissolved the board and reassembled it again, 
reorganized it, next morning, with power to administer oaths. That 


8 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


board is in existence to-day, and it will not be dissolved while I am 
at the Naval Academy. They are ready to assemble at any moment, 
and they will be assembled at odd times, to determine whether 
anything contrary to regulations is going on. 

The Chairman. Will you state. Admiral, the names and rank 
of the members comprising the board, so that we may have it in 
the record of the hearing? 

Admiral Sands. Lieutenant-Commander Durell, Lieutenant-Com¬ 
mander Wiley, Lieutenant-Commander McVay, jr., with Lieu¬ 
tenant Raymond Stone as recorder. 

Mr. Padgett. There has been a change of that board, has there 
not? One member of the board has gone out and a new one has 
been substituted? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. You are thinking of the court-martial, probably. 

Mr. Padgett. Yes; that is the court-martial. They had a change. 
That is right. 

The Chairman. The evidence before the investigating committee 
seems to show that hazing was going on quite early in the school 
year; that it commenced immediately upon the return of the higher 
classes from their summer cruise. In the mess room is one of these 
four officers present during the meals of the students? 

Admiral Sands. Always. 

The Chairman. I notice in the evidence that boys were sent 
under the table and stood on their heads between the tables, with 
more or less frequency. Could this happen and the officer in charge 
not know about it? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. That is the reason the officer told me those 
charges were absolutely false. Nothing occurred anywhere within 
his sight, and therefore he concluded it did not occur anywhere. 
There are nearly 900 midshipmen in one mess hall—20 at a table. 
That would make about 44 tables. There must be 20 tables on either 
side of him in the length of that mess hall. Aw^ay down at the other 
end, he does not know anything that is going on. 

The Chairman. The cadet officers are also in charge of the different 
tables ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. One at each table? 

Admiral Sands. Two at each table. 

The Chairman. Is it the duty of these cadet officers, under the 
regulations of the academy, to report anything of that kind; any 
disorder? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The cadet officers, then, failed to perform their 
duty? 

Admiral Sands. Absolutely; and they not only failed to perform 
their duty, but they were the first in the infraction of the regulations, 
themselves. That does not apply to all of them, however. In the 
board of investigation it is stated that there was one company, the 
members of the fourth class of which were examined, and after they 
had examined a few they stated, 'Tt appears that there is no infrac¬ 
tion of regulations in this company, and therefore we do not feel it 
necessary to examine any more of the members of this company. 
We wish to state that the officer in command of this company was 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


9 


Cadet Lieutenant Collins,” and they named one or two others, but I do 
not know who they are. But it was so apparent that discipline 
had been maintained in that company that they went no further in 
their investigation. That is the third company in the brigade. 

The Chairman. Under the code of honor that existed among the 
cadets, under this hazing system, they conceived it to be their duty 
to shield their companions rather than to perform the duty imposed 
upon them, of reporting such infractions of the rules? 

Admiral Sands. That has been the case with them always. That is 
what they claim, at least. 

The Chairman. At night, in their corridors, is there an officer 
on each floor? 

Admiral Sands. The only officer in the whole building is the 
officer in charge that I spoke of. 

The Chairman. But there is a cadet officer on each floor, is there 
not, or two? 

Admiral SAisms. There are cadet officers on each floor, each one 
in charge of his own company, with subordinate officers and petty 
officers, who should maintain discipline. 

The Chairman. Are there no watchmen there under the control 
of the Department, besides these men? 

Admiral Sands. They have an orderly to patrol the building, 
but it is impossible for one man to keep a lookout on the whole 
building. 

The Chairman. Only one orderly? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; and I am under the impression that the 
watchmen, who serve eight-hour tours, are not in the building at all 
after 10 oYlock. 

The Chairman. How many floors are there in the hall? 

Admiral Sands. Four floors; two wings. 

The Chairman. Then, fights could take place in the rooms, could 
easily take place, without it being known to the naval officer in 
charge ? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes, sir; without question; whenever they 
pleased. The discipline is dependent upon the will of the cadet 
officers and petty officers, who know everything that is ^oing on— 
or who know everything that is going on in their companies. 

Mr. Dawson, i^e the assignments of rooms made by companies? 
That is, do the boys of a particular company occupy a particular 
section ot the floor? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. The companies are formed of all the classes, 
the first, second, third, and fourth classes, and the cadet officers 
and petty officers of the senior class—at present the second class, 
because there is no first class here now—are right in the midst of 
their men. Therefore they should know what they are thinking of 
even and be able to forestall any intended outbreak. 

The Chairman. Admiral, can you tell me about the liighest num¬ 
ber of cadets you have had here during the present school year? 

Admiral Sands. Eight hundred and eighty-one. 

The Chairman. Can you tell me how this compares with the num¬ 
ber at the academy before the recent increase under an act of 
Congress ? 

Admiral Sands. It is about three times the number. 

The Chairman. About three times the number? 


10 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. Under this law what will be about the maximum 
number of cadets that will attend the academy or that may attend ? 

Admiral Sands. About 930. 

The Chairman. Can you tell me as to whether the number of 
officers put at your disposal for the purpose of enforcing discipline 
and the regulations of the academy has been increased propor¬ 
tionately since the passage of that law? 

Admiral Sands. It has not. 

The Chairman. Has any increase been made? 

Admiral Sands. I am informed that there has been an increase 
made, but the Navy Department gave me every officer that was 
available. It never was able to give me the officers that were nec¬ 
essary. When we started in the academic year I reported that we 
were 4 officers, I think—3 or 4—below the minimum. I had named 
it as low as it was possible to get on with the duty, and I have never 
been able to get the requisite number. The Department is calling 
on me now for officers that are absolutely necessary to relieve the 
officers that are overtime at sea, and I am compelled to make some 
arrangement which is not for the benefit of the service or of the 
midshipmen in order to meet that emergency. But it can not be 
helped. They have done everything they possibly can do, and 
there is no criticism intended of their actions and there can not 
be any. 

The Chairman. The control of the number of officers placed at 
your disposal for disciplinary purposes is entirely with the Secretary 
of the Navy? 

Admiral Sands. Simply in giving me the officers. I appoint all 
the people to all the posts. I debail every officer that is under my 
command here. The Navy Department sends me the number of 
officers they can spare and I divide them up in accordance with my 
judgment. 

The Chairman. Divide them up how? 

Admiral Sands. I assign them to the different departments and 
to the department of discipline as well. 

The Chairman. Do I understand, then, that you can increase the 
number of officers in the department of discipline if you choose or 
if you are able to take them from some other department under 
your command ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; nobody has control over that but myself. 

The Chairman. What other duties do officers have here who are 
not instructors in classes? 

Admiral Sands. There are the drills, which are going on all the 
time, and in addition to that the duties of instruction. They have 
work everyjday in the classroom. They have, work with the engines 
of vessels put here for the purpose of teaching the midshipmen engi¬ 
neering. For instance, this afternoon 175 midshipmen have gone 
on board the Newark to drill at the battery. They require officers 
of two departments to conduct that drill. We have four depart¬ 
ments here with the officers interchangeable, because all are required 
in each department at certain times for drills. They are doing that 
work besides the work of instruction. 

The Chairman. You think the number of officers for disciplinary 
purposes here is very much too small ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


11 


^yimiral Sands. Very much too small; yes, sir. 

Ihe Chairman. \ou are suirering the same as all departments of 
the Navy are suffering—from lack of officers? 

Admiral Sands. \es, sir; from lack of officers. They have assured 
me at the Department that they will not call upon me for an officer 
who is not absolutel}^ needed at sea. Two officers were detached 
to-day. 

The Chairman. When did you first learn, Admiral, that an agree¬ 
ment had been reached between Admiral Brownson and one of the 
classes—the senior class, I think? 

Admiral Sands. The investigation had been in progress, I think, 
about three weeks when the commandant reported to me that the 
person who was designated as jiresident of his class had stated to 
him that this agreement had been made, and I required the com¬ 
mandant to have that midshipman make that statement in writing 
to me, in order that I might not have any misunderstanding in 
regard to it. 

The Chairman. Have you the statement of the midshipman in 
writing ? 

Admiral Sands. I have it down at my office; but I sent a copy of 
it immediately to the Bureau of Navigation, and later—I suppose 
about (me week later—this Hidshipman Chantry, who stands at the 
head of his class and who was the cadet lieutenant-commander in 
charge of the first battalion of the brigade, came before the hoard of 
investigation and swore to all practically that was contained in this 
letter of the president of his class. That is in the report of the 
investigation which you read. It is practically the same thing. 

The Chairman. W> read that in the report of the investigation, 
but I would like to have a copy »of that letter put into the recorcl 
of this hearing. Do you see any objection? 

Admiral Sands. None at all. If you will ring the bell, I will have 
a copy made. I am going to be absent to-morrow, you know. 

(The letter above referred to was subsequently handed to the 
chairman by Admiral Sands and is as follows:) 

United States Naval Academy, 

Annapolis, Md., January 6, 1906. 

Sir: I wish to make a statement to you of the situation as it is at present among the 
midshipmen regarding the question of hazing. 

While it is much to be regretted that a number of those so intimately associated with 
the government of a nation should hold a sentiment that .should reflect so un.''avorably 
on that nation, it is surely true that such a sentiment could not be corrected save by 
inviting to it the closest scrutiny. This has been done in this case by means of the inves¬ 
tigation that is going on here at present. 

The strongest encouragement that hazing receives lies in the fact that it is a custom of 
long standing. It is not kept alive by the peculiar ethics of one or of several classes of 
midshipmen. We are sworn to uphold the laws of the United States and of the Navy, 
one of which positively forliids hazing in any form. The mistake here apparent came 
with hazing, and never until lately has it been fully realized nor the obligations of our 
oath been so fully understood. 

Sir, any number of courts-martial or dismissals of midshipmen can not insure that in 
the future this same mistake will not again creep in. But if the midshipmen as a whole 
should cteate a sentiment against hazing as strong in itself as has been the one of the 
past for hazing, that sentiment, following the natural way of any good sentiment or cus¬ 
tom in the Navy, would effectually and for all time put a stop to the practice of hazing. 
In view of the facts that discipline commands that hazing be stopped and that the pres¬ 
tige of the Navy requires it, it is my firm conviction that the midshipmen are now ready 
and willing to create this sentiment, and the dictates of duty would protect that sentiment 
against anyone who endeavored to brave it. 


12 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The honor of the midshipmen has been questioned in connection with this affair, but you 
know that, while they might have been confused bj'" circumstances as to what was right and 
wrong, they have never violated their word of honor when it has been once given. 

In former years, at the instance of the then Superintendent of the Naval Academy, prom¬ 
ises w'ere made by the midshipmen to refrain from hazing and those promises were adhered 
to. In a personal interview that I, myself, had with that superintendent, toward the close 
of the last academic year, I was told by him that he did not feel that he had a right to leave 
behind him anything that might interfere with the ideas of the succeeding administration. 
For that reason he said that the midshipmen could consider that they were released from 
all promises made to him. As Superintendent you have not required that those promises 
be made again, pointing out that they were unnecessary, in view of our obligations as mid¬ 
shipmen. So that this year any hazing that was done was not a violation of any promise 
or word of honor. These facts should fully relieve our honor of any shadow that is at 
present upon it. • 

I earnestly request that the midshipmen be allowed an opportunity of proving themselves 
competent in this matter and that their present spirit be accepted as a reason for showing 
clemency to those who are liable to be punished for their participation in a general fault. 

Respectfully, 

Ronan C. Grady, 
Midshipman, First Class. 

The Superintendent. 


Mr. Gregg. Is that letter from Cliantr}" or Grady ? 

Admiral Sands. That is from Grad}^. 

Mr. Gregg. Grady was the class president? 

Admiral Sands. He was president of the class. 

Admiral Sands also presented to the subcommittee a communica¬ 
tion from himself to Midshipman Grady, in reply to the above letter. 
Said communication is as follows: , 

United States Naval Academy, 

Annapolis, Md., January 6, 1906. 

Sir; I am in receipt of your letter of the 6th instant in which you give an opinion of the 
means I should adopt in order to eradicate the offense of hazing. You rightlj^ state that 
the midshipmen “are sworn to uphold the laws of the United States and of the Navy, one 
of which positively prohibits hazing in any form.” You further say that “any number of 
courts-martial or dismissals of midshipmen can not insure that in the future this same mis¬ 
take (of hazing) will not again creep in.” In this statement I differ with you in toto. I 
have ordered that the cadet officers and petty officers shall be held responsible for the discip¬ 
line of their commands day and night, and as you have very properly acknowledged that 
you are bound by your oath to carry out the laws and regulations it will be impossible for 
hazing or any other serious infraction of the regulations to occur if you are true to your 
oaths and have a proper manly sense of duty. This matter rests entirely with the cadet 
officers and petty officers of the brigade. In your intimate association, one with the other, 
you all know who are honorably doing their duty and who are shirking it and allowing a few 
cowards to disgrace the Academy. 

If the midshipmen as a whole, as you suggest, can “create a sentiment against hazing as 
strong in itself as has been the one in the past for hazing,” it is your duty and the duty of 
ever}’^ cadet officer to see that sentiment inaugurated at once. "Under your oath you are 
compelled to do this, and no “hair splitting” on the part of a few malcontents can release 
you from that obligation. 

You say that it is your “firm conviction that the midshipmen are now ready and willing 
to create this sentiment.” You will have it on your conscience if you do not take advantage 
of this disposition and retrieve the damaged reputation of the Academy. 

You are entirely correct in saying that I have not required the midshipmen to give me 
personal pledges for the maintenance of discipline. You have seen that personal pledges 
have no lasting effect. Discipline consists in doing one’s duty regardless of self and solely 
because it is a duty. This applies to all times and in all places, whether in the presence of 
a watcliful superior or unseen by others. Personal considerations do not enter into it. 

You are at the Academy to be trained in your duties and to fit you for duty afloat, and 
not to instruct your superiors in the manner in which you prefer to be trained. 

I have been assiduous for the past two months in teaching the cadet officers their duty, 
and if they had been obedient to my orders, as they were in honor bound to be, we should 
not now be striving to remove the stain from the fair name of the Academy. 

Your suggestion that clemency should be shown to those who are liable to be punished 
for their participation in a general fault is forbidden by act of Congress to be considered by 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 13 

the superintendent, who is required by that act to bring to trial by court-martial all whom 
he may know to have been guilty of the offense commonly known as hazing. 

Respectfully, 

James H. Sands, 

, , Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy, Superintendent. 

Midshipman R. C. Grady, 

United States Naval Academy. 

The Chairman. What is the name of the commandant of cadets? 

Admiral Sands. The commandant of midshipmen is Capt. G. P. 
Colvocoresses. 

Mr. Gregg. What is his title? 

Admiral Sands. Commandant of midshipmen. He is Captain 
Colvocoresses, commandant of midshipmen. 

The Chairman. When did he come to the Academy? 

Admiral Sands. He came to the Academy, I think, two weeks 
before I did; I think about the middle of June. I had him come 
here so as to gather up the routine before I arrived. 

The Chairman. His term then practically commenced at the same 
time with yours? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. He had nothing to do but to look around 
him at that time. 

The Chairman. The commandant of midshipmen who was here 
under }^our predecessor left about the same time ? 

Admiral Sands. He left about the 1st of June. 

The Chairman. So that both yourself and the new commandant 
of midshipmen came together, and the duties were entirely new to 
each of you ? 

Admiral Sands. They were entirely new, and there were no offi¬ 
cers here to carry it on. All the officers, or very nearly every officer 
and petty officer, were afloat with the practice squadron, and it left 
nobody here to conduct the duty—that is, only about half a dozen 
men. 

The Chairman. Which one, if any, of these disciplinary officers now 
on duty—the four—were here with your predecessor ? 

Admiral Sands. There were two here with my predecessor, but one 
of them was afloat with him and the other was on shore with me. 
Lieutenant-Commander Durell, the one who is the head of this board 
of investigation, remained here during the summer with me. 

Mr. Dawson. Give us the name of the other, please. 

Admiral Sands. Lieutenant-Commander Decker was afloat as exec¬ 
utive officer of the vessel during the summer, and did not get back 
until the 1st of September. 

The Chairman. Two of these disciplinary officers here now were 
here under Admiral Brownson? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; and one was here for a few weeks under him. 
That is Lieutenant-Commander Wiley, who had comhiand of the tug 
which communicated with the squadron at stated periods. 

The Chairman. Did any of these officers ever give you any infor¬ 
mation as to the existence of the agreement on hazing with Admiral 
Brownson ? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Should they not have done that, in view of the 
importance of the subject? 

Admiral Sands. If they had known of it. 


14 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. You have no means of knowing whether these offi¬ 
cers knew of the existence of such an agreement ? 

Admiral Sands. No. The commandant of midshipmen told me— 
I do not know at what time, but I think it was before the return of the 
midshipmen from the cruise; that is, not before the return of the 
midshipmen from the cruise, but before the beginning of the academic 
year—that he understood there was such an agreement. 

Mr. Dawson. Your commandant. Captain Colvocoresses ? 

Admiral Sands. Captain Colvocoresses; yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. He understood there was such an agreement with 
your predecessor ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; and I looked on the records to see if 
there was any written agreement, and I found there was none. 
I told him then that I recognized no pledges whatever, or agree¬ 
ments, between midshipmen and superintendent, on matters of duty; 
that the laws were plain, and were to be carried out without promises 
from each one. I applied the principle to all offenses, that they 
were sworn to obey the laws and the orders of their superiors, and 
that it was not necessary for -the superintendent to compel them to 
swear in detail as to what offenses they would avoid, and what 
they were permitted to commit. 

The Chairman. If these classes would voluntarily meet and pass 
a resolution to the effect that they would not only not haze- them¬ 
selves, but set their faces and their influence against hazing, would 
it not be a desirable action? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir; I would not permit it. It would be 
against discipline. 

The Chairman. Would it not assist us very much if the cadets 
showed that disposition? Would it not assist us in obtaining 
legislation of the kind that is thought best ? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir; not that is thought best, because itwould 
break down discipline. It would be the same on board ship. When 
there is discipline on board ship, the captain does not call up the 
officers and men and ask them to agree to obey the regulations. 
The regulations and laws are positive, and all must be governed 
by them. The captain issues orders, and they must be obeyed, 
or the persons disobeying must suffer. As at present constituted, 
the Naval Academy is in discipline, and I ask my pledges of anybody, 
and I take no promises. They are told what the laws are, and they 
must obey them. They must not say what laws they will obey, 
and what laws they will not obey. They are given orders, and 
they must obey them. If they do not, they will be punished. 
That is only discipline. If you allow men to"vote as to what laws 
they will obey and what laws they will not obey, there will be 
anarchy. They are controlling the situation, and not the officers. 
They are here to be instructed in their future duties, and if t'hey 
pe to decide in what way they will be instructed there is no use 
in having a Naval Academy, because there is nobody of exper¬ 
ience who will be permitted to train them. They are under training 
here, and are being taught their profession, and they have no voice 
as to what they shall be taught. They must obey orders as they 
receive them, and as they are sworn to do. 

The Chairman. I would like to ask you if you know that at the 
time of the West Point investigation, five years ago, which dis- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


15 


closed a very much worse state of affairs than is existing here, 
because of their having run a great deal longer, the classes there 
did voluntarily, of their own free will and volition, meet and make 
a statement of that kind, that they should hereafter not only them¬ 
selves obey strictly the law against hazing, but would endeavor to 
discountenance it in every way with their influence? And do you 
know that their action at that time, their voluntary action, had a 
very favorable effect upon public opinion in the country, and in 
Congress,? 

Admiral Sands. I think it had an effect, but it is contrary to dis¬ 
cipline. You can not maintain discipline by bargain. 

Mr. Loud. There is a difference between bargain and declaration. 

Admiral Sands. I think you misunderstand the situation here. 
There is no hazing at the Naval Academy. There can be no hazing 
at the Naval Academy unless the cadet officers and petty officers 
neglect their duty. The point comes at once: If there is hazing, 
the people who are right in contact with it are the ones who are to 
suffer. The cadet officers and petty officers will be immediately 
reported for dismissal. No law can be stronger than that fear of 
dismissal. They will be dismissed for that neglect of duty, and why 
they should be recpiired to pledge themselves against hazing more 
than against drunkenness, gambling, or any other offense, I can 
not see. 

The Chairman. The number of disciplinar}^ officers at your dis¬ 
posal was such that during several months, when a great amount 
of hazing was going on, and when men were sent under the table 
in the dining room, and were standing on their heads in the aisles 
between the tables, you were unable to discover it until a catastrophe 
happened which brought it to the surface. 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. If the number of officers is not increased, three 
months from now why may it not happen again? 

Admiral Sands. By putting cadet officers and petty officers on 
duty day and night, and making them responsible for any infraction 
of the regulations. If they allow any infraction of the regulations, 
they are the first to suffer. 

The Chairman. Were they not responsible for infractions of the 
rules and regulations before? 

Admiral Sands. They claimed that they were not on duty unless 
they had their swords on. That is how they shielded themselves 
from responsibility. 

The Chairman. But from your standpoint, I understand it makes 
little difference what they claim. Was it their duty, as you under¬ 
stand it, to report those things? 

Admiral Sands. It was. Let me give all these people credit for 
honesty of purpose when they state that they never had an expla¬ 
nation of their duties made, such as I insist upon, and that they did not 
understand the thing as I put it before them. If they had under¬ 
stood it we would have been better off and would have had better dis¬ 
cipline in the Academy. They never understood that they were 
to be held responsible day and night for order in the brigade, but 
that only those who had their swords on and who were temporarily 
on duty were responsible. They, themselves, violated the regula¬ 
tions, without question. 


16 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 

The Chairman. Were you given to understand by the midship¬ 
men that they would accept your understanding of the orders and 
regulations, and endeavor to carry them out? 

Admiral Sands. There is no promise. I would like that under¬ 
stood. They are under no promise to me whatever. I ask each 
midshipman: “Do you intend to obey my order or do you not?” 
That is all. They have concluded to obey my order. If they do 
not obey my order and are reported, then, as cadet officers, among 
themselves, they are quite as liable as the officers of the institution, 
and would be treated by me in exactly the same way. 

Mr. Dawson. Would it be in any way inimical to discipline to 
have the benefit of the moral support of the boys, without regard 
to any promise? In other words, if you could- 

Admiral Sands. You ask me if it would be? 

Mr. Dawson. Would it be inimical to discipline, or would it not 
be beneficial to discipline, to have not only the spirit of obedience 
among the boys, but also the moral force of a voluntary declaration 
of the boys? 

Admiral Sands. Not a declaration. It you speak of voluntary 
action, I have got it. I have got all the discipline I want here. 

Mr. Loud. But no agreement? 

Admiral Sands. No agreement. I have no agreement whatever 
with them. 

The Chairman. I do not tliink I have made clear to you the 
effect which I think might come, if they felt that way. 

Admiral Sands. To declare it? 

The Chairman. To declare it. 

Admiral Sands. It would not make the slightest difference with 
me, from my standpoint. 

The Chairman. I am not figuring upon the effect it would have 
upon you. 

Admiral Sands. I am the personification of discipline, .you know. 

The Chairman. You are satisfied, as the head of this institution, 
that these young men who are under your charge are going to carry 
out your orders? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You are satisfied of that? 

Admiral Sands. I am positive of it. 

The Chairman. As I understand the situation, this investigating 
committee, as far as it can, has disclosed the fact that there are 150, 
200, 250, 300, 400, no one knows how many cadets, who, under the 
existing act of Congress, would be turned out of this Academy; 
that practically the whole school is involved. 

Admiral Sands. Yes, if it can be proved. 

The Chairman. If it can be proved—in a greater or less degree. 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. Now, under the law as it stands to-day, I do not 
see why it is not the duty of the superintendent to bring these 
students to court-martial. I do not see how the superintendent 
of this Academy can escape from carrying out the law, namely, that 
every case of hazing, without regard to its degree, wherever it comes 
under the definition of the law, shall be brought before a court- 
martial, and if it can be proved, the cadet shall be dismissed from 
the Academy, even if it takes the last cadet here. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


IT 


Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. I think a good many members of Congress con¬ 
sider that that law, as it stands to-day, is not the best kind of law 
we could have. In other words, that while they fully agree with the 
law so far as it applies to brutal and cruel hazing, they recognize 
that there could be slight infractions which might come under the 
head of hazing that would not warrant a dismissal, but would war¬ 
rant a lesser degree of punishment. I think I may say that we 
hope, as one of the results of this investigation, that we can amend 
the law so that while cases of brutal hazing shall mean the dismissal 
of a cadet minor degrees of hazing shall be punished like minor 
offenses of another description. 

Admiral Sands. Yes; I think we are all of one mind on that. 

The Chairman. If we go back to Congress and insist that a law 
of that kind be put in, members of Congress will say, “Why, as soon 
as this investigation is over, how do we know these cadets are in a 
frame of mind where they will not at least attempt hazing?” That 
is, if the letter and spirit of the present law is amended, are they 
willing to assist and meet the sentiment of the country, the senti¬ 
ment of Congress, and the sentiment of the superintendent of this 
institution, in regard to hazing? My opinion has been that if 
Congress could know the views of this student body, and whether 
they have not only acquiesced in the new regulations about it which 
3 mu will promulgate, and the new orders which you have given, 
but whether the\^ acquiesce in the spirit of it, whether they are 
willing to acknowledge that they ought to stop it as well as to 
acknowledge that they must stop it under the rules. I think it 
would have quite an effect on the opinion of Congress. 

Admiral Sands. But ^mu can not find that out from the officers. 
You must get that right from the midshipmen. 

The Chairman. That is what I am talking about. 

Admiral Sands. I can not give ^mu anj' information on that 
subject. The midshipmen are the only ones who can interpret 
their own minds. 

Mr. Gregg. Admiral, I want to get the daily machinery of disci¬ 
pline. I do not know whether j'ou understand- 

Admiral Sands. I understand. Have you not got it in this book? 
The daily routine, I think, ought to be in the back part. 

The Chairman. “Arise at 6 o’clock,” etc. 

Admiral Sands. Yes. I could not tell ^mu about that. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you have reveille in the morning? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Look at pa^e 64 and see if that is what you want. 

Mr. Gregg. This gives the dail}^ programme. 

Admiral Sands. Yes; right through for ever}^ hour of the day. 

Mr. Gregg. After reveille the midshipmen return to their rooms, 
. do they? 

Admiral Sands. They have their breakfast formation immedi- 
atel}" after that. I can not tell you without looking at that. 

Mr. Dawson. Had you not better ask the commandant of cadets? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; he can give that. I am not concerned 
with it. 

Mr. Gregg. There are officers—and when I use the word officers 

I mean the naval officers- 

H. Doc. GOO, 59-1-2 



18 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. Commissioned officers; yes. 

Mr. Gregg. When I speak of cadet officers I will use the word 
‘‘cadet.’’ 

Admiral Sands. Pardon me. The law now calls them midship¬ 
men. The only reason we use the term “cadet” is by calling them 
cadet officers and petty officers, to distinguish them from commis¬ 
sioned officers. 

Mr. Gregg. Speaking of the machinery, you do have cadet 
officers in your machinery here? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. You have an officer of the day? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; two officers of the day, one for each-wing, 
I think. 

Mr. Gregg. Each wing of Bancroft Hall? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. The duties of that officer of the day are to maintain 
discipline ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you have a cadet officer of the day? 

Admiral Sands. He is the one. He is the officer of the day. We 
have an officer in charge, who is a commissioned officer, over the 
whole building, and the officers of the day are midshipmen. 

Mr. Gregg. You have an officer in charge who is a commissioned 
officer ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. And he serves from 9 o’clock of one day until 9 o’clock 
of the next day? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Then, of course, he is over the officer of the day? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes, he is over the officer of the day, who 
is a midshipman. 

Mr. Gregg. The duty of both of those officers is to maintain 
discipline ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, assisted by the cadet officers in charge 
of floors. 

Mr. Gregg. That is what I wanted to know. 

Admiral Sands. There are midshipmen in charge of floors. 

Mr. Gregg. You have a cadet officer in charge of each floor? 

Admiral Sands. He may not be a cadet officer, but he is a mid¬ 
shipman at all events. 

Mr. Gregg. You have a midshipman in charge of each floor? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Each wing of the floor, or one for the entire floor? 

Admiral Sands. There is a midshipman in each wing of each floor, 
I think. 

Mr. Gregg. Is he recognized by the midshipmen as being on duty 
during that time? 

Admiral Sands. Always, yes—regularly detailed. 

Mr. Gregg. It is his duty to make reports of any misconduct? 

Admiral Sands. It is. 

Mr. Gregg. Hazing or anything else. 

Admiral Sands. Yes, anything. 

^ Mr. Gregg. Since you came in and took charge, and up to the 
time this hazing was developed, have any of them or the officer in 
charge made any reports about hazing or evidences of hazing? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


19 


Admiral Sands. None whatever; because as soon as the hazing 
was found out it stopped. The very first case reported stopped the 
hazing. 

Mr. Gregg. But you got reports? That is what I am getting at. 

Admiral Sands. None whatever. 

Mr. Gregg. You are relying now upon cadet officers? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; who are midshipmen. 

Mr. Gregg. If they have not been reporting these things hereto¬ 
fore, what assurance have you that you can rely upon them in the 
future, that they will do it ? 

Admiral Sands. Because I think their duties have been explained 
to them more fully and minutely than ever before, and the conse¬ 
quences of disobedience are very much more severe. 

Mr. Gregg. At the first of the year was any special instruction 
given to the officers who would be officers in charge, or who were 
officers in charge- 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Or the officers of the day, relative to hazing, specific¬ 
ally? 

Admiral Sands. The cadet officers were given instructions. I do 
not know whether any were given to the officers of the day or not. 
That is a matter of detail that did not come to me. I did not specify 
the officers of the day. All that would be attended to by the com¬ 
mandant of midshipmen; but I did direct that all the cadet officers 
and petty officers snould be instructed that they were on duty day 
and night, at all times, whether they had their swords on or did not 
have their swords on. 

Mr. Gregg. Did you make that order prior to the discovery of 
hazing ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; as soon as the brigade was organized, on 
the 14th of October. 

Mr. Dawson. Was this a printed order? 

Admiral Sands. No; it was a verbal instruction, transmitted from 
the commandant through the officers in charge of divisions to cadet 
officers and petty officers, and stopped at that; because I do not 
give any orders to midshipmen at all, myself. It was an instruction 
as to what my policy was and that it must be carr ed out. They 
struggled with it for two months before they could understand it. 
They did their best to swallow it, but it was too large a dose for 
them. 

Mr. Gregg. Now, about the mess hall. Did the officer in charge 
remain at the mess hall during meal hours? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; that is his duty. 

Mr. Gregg. There was an officer in charge at each table. In 
addition to the officer in charge you had two cadets officers? 

Admiral Sands. One at each end—a cadet officer or a petty officer. 

Mr. Gregg. A cadet officer or a petty officer? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Their duty was to maintain discipline? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; that always has been in the regulations. 

Mr. Padgett. Explain, if you please, the difference between a 
cadet officer and a petty officer, that it may appear in the record. 

Admiral Sands. The cadet officer corresponds to what would be 
in the Army the captain, first lieutenant, and second lieutenant of a 



20 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


company. The cadet petty officer corresponds to the army ser¬ 
geant and corporal. 

Mr. Gregg. Noncommissioned? 

Admiral Sands. Noncommissioned; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I simply waited to get it in the record that it would 
be clear. 

Mr. Gregg. Of all these matters disclosed by this investigation as 
having occurred in the mess hall, none of them was ever reported 
either to you or to the commandant prior to this investigation? 

Admiral Sands. None whatever. Some of them were taken part 
in by the cadet officers themselves and petty officers. 

Mr. Gregg. But no report was ever made by the cadet officers or 
petty officers or by the officer in charge? 

Admiral Sands. None. 

Mr. Gregg. Of any of those things occurring in the mess hall? 

Admiral Sands. None whatever. I may say that I would not 
credit it because I did not conceive that midshipmen would be so 
ungentlemenly as to either order those things or to submit to them. 

Mr. Gregg. In that connection, you have now testified that the 
cadet officers and the petty officers have not only failed to preserve 
order in the mess hall but have participated in that disorder in the 
mess hall. 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. f 

Mr. Gregg. Is there any penalty for that conduct on their part? 

Admiral Sands. You mean in the future? 

Mr. Gregg. No. Is there fixed in the regulations a penalty for that ? 

Admiral Sands. There is nothing in the regulations which makes 
it a greater penalty for a cadet officer or a petty officer to commit 
the offense than for a midshipman to commit it. 

Mr. Gregg. Is there anything in the regulations that prescribes a 
penalty for failure of that officer to do his duty in that respect? 

Admiral Sands. There is; yes. 

Mr. Gregg. It has been discovered that a lot of them have failed 
to do their duty? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Has anything been done to any of them about that? 
Has any punishment been inflicted upon any of them? 

Admiral Sands. I have deprived some of them of their cadet rank 
and reduced them to the ranks; and I have recommended others 
for immediate dismissal. 

Mr. Gregg. Of those officers ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. I believe in answer to Mr. Vreeland, when he ques¬ 
tioned you as to the act of 1903, requiring the superintendent to adopt 
regulations to effectually prevent hazing, you said that when you 
came here you found of record no regulations adopted subsequent 
to that law. 

Admiral Sands. I found nothing of record; no. I may say right 
there, as part of my answer, that I immediately ordered a board to 
revise the regulations, to include all of the requirements of that law. 
That was in addition to all their other duties, which has made it 
impossible for them to complete them until now. 

Mr. Gregg. You did that when you came in? 

Admiral Sands. I did, at once. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


21 


Mr. Gregg. But you found nothing of record when you came? 

Admiral Sands. I found nothing of record. 

Mr. Gregg, ^ou say you have four officers in charge, I believe, 
assistant to the commandant? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. In your opinion, is that a sufficient number? 

Admiral Sands. It is not. 

Mr. Gregg. To secure good discipline in the Naval Academy? 

Admiral Sands. It is not. 

Mr. Gregg. In your opinion, how many are necessary for that 
purpose? 

Admiral Sands. At least six; preferably eight. 

Mr. Gregg. Admiral, are there any rules or regulations relative 
to one cadet visiting the room of another cadet? 

Admiral Sands. \Ys, sir.* 

Mr. Gregg. During what hours is that prohibited? 

Admiral Sands. During study hours. 

Mr. Gregg. What are the study hours? 

Admiral Sands. I will have to look that up. 

Mr. Gregg. Never mind about that. 

The Chairman. That is all in the regulations. 

Mr. Gregg. I was simply trying to get ahead a little more quickly 
than we could by reading the regulations. During those study hours, 
to prevent that visiting, you have an officer in charge, of course, and 
he covers the entire building? 

Admiral Sands. Will you let me amend that answer? 

The Chairman. Certainly. 

Admiral Sands. The first class men heretofore have been permit¬ 
ted to visit the rooms. 

Mr. Gregg. At all times? 

Admiral Sands. At all times. 

•The Chairman. Allowed to visit all the rooms? 

Admiral Sands. To visit all the rooms. I presume it is all the 
rooms, because the permission to visit carries that with it, I think. 

Mr. Gregg. During the hours when they are prohibited from vis¬ 
iting, is there any guard in either of the halls or the wings—I mean 
either of the corridors in Bancroft Hall ? Are any guards kept ? 

Admiral Sands. The superintendents of floors and their assistants, 
who are midshipmen. 

Mr. Gregg. But there is nothing in the nature of what we would 
call regular guards? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Whose duty is it to report violations? 

Admiral Sands. Only or the midshipmen themselves. We have 
not any money to patrol the building. 

Mr. Gregg. Can you effectually prevent that visiting through the 
means you have now at your command? 

Admiral Sands: I think so. The only persons now authorized by 
me to visit are the cadet officers of the origade. 

Mr. Gregg. But I mean, have you a sufficient force there to rigidly 
enforce that rule against visiting? 

Admiral Sands. I do not think it is possible to enforce the rules 
unless we have the cooperation of the midshipmen themselves in 
authority. If I attempted to do anything of that kind I should have 


22 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


to have regular sentinels and have the place conducted as a prison 
would be conducted. I can not educate naval officers with prison 
ideas. They must be educated as naval officers. While they are 
green at the work you make proper allowance for them, and punish 
them when they are caught. When they become more mature and 
get to the upper class and become officers of the brigade, they are sup¬ 
posed to have a sense of duty which makes them quite as eager to 
keep regulations as the officers themselves. The supposition is that 
when they come to the upper classes they should be as trustworthy 
as the officers themselves. 

Mr. Gregg. It has developed, as far as I have read in these hear¬ 
ings, that most of the hazing has been done just between the supper 
hour and the study hour, and in some instances after the supper hour, 
when they are not permitted to visit- 

Admiral Sands. No; they were permitted to visit at that time. 
As I understand the test mony, they said they knew they were obliged 
to stop because the call for study sounded. 

Mr. Gregg. Some of them fixed the hour by that, I believe; 7.25 
is the first study call, I believe, and 7.30 is the last call; and the study 
hour continued, until 9.30, when they \Vere released in the evening, 
I believe that is all. 

Mr. Padgett. I want to ask you one question, please. If I under¬ 
stand you, you attribute the failure 6f the cadet officers and the petty 
officers to maintain discipline to their inability to distinguish between 
their obligations of friendship to their schoolmates and their duty as 
officers, allowing their personal friendships in many instances to over¬ 
come their sense of duty as cadet and petty officers ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Padgett. And you think you have now so impressed upon 
them the paramountcy of their officiaj duty that they will no longer 
suffer that to continue ? 

Admiral Sands. As a rule. 

Mr. Padgett. I understand; I am speaking generally. 

Admiral Sands. They must be educated to that. They under¬ 
stand it now, but I expect there will be lapses and will make all due 
allowance for their inexperience. 

Mr. Padgett. But you have more thoroughly impressed upon 
them, since you have come in here, the importance of making their 
official duty supreme over their personal relations and affections 
with their friends and classmates ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; and I think they accept it. 

The Chairman. Now, Admiral, I understand that you have given 
a good deal of attention to the new regu ations which, I understand, 
would comply with the intent of this act of March, 1903? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Namely-- 

Admiral Sands. So much so that I have embodied all of the West 
Point regulations on the specific subject of hazing, against my better 
judgment, as I do not care to make any one offense paramount. All 
offenses are exactly the same to me, as violations or the regulations; 
and the orders which I issued when I came here were intended to cover 
every offense without specifying any one of them. I consider the 
question of hazing simply as one among many offenses. But not¬ 
withstanding my own opinion as to what I may call the impropriety 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


23 


of specifying any one offense, in these new regulations I have laid 
stress upon the offense of hazing and have put in the exact terms of 
the West Point prohibition, which seems to cover every point in the 
case. 

Mr. Gregg. Right along that line, before you proceed further, I 
would like to ask this while it is on my mind. Your idea was that 
that no specific offense should be singled out ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. That all should be put on an equal footing? 

Admiral Sands. YYs. 

Mr. Gregg. That is that the regulations should prohibit all 
equally? 

Admiral Sands. Y^es. 

Mr. Gregg. And that they should not give any special prominence 
to any one in particular? 

Admiral Sands. Y^es. 

Mr. Gregg. It has occurred to me that possibly Congress made a 
mistake. I do not like to criticise that body, but possibly they made 
a mistalp in legislation in singling out the offense of hazing and 
prescribing particular punishment for it. Would it be possible, now, 
in your opinion, if all those laws were repealed, to control this 
hazing question under your general demerit system and dismissal 
system without any special law on it? 

Admiral Sands. The difficulty, as I understand, at that time, was 
that the Secretary of the Navy was so besieged by the friends of the 
culprit that he found it difficult to carry out what he considered the 
best interests of the service, by dismissal. Therefore he would be 
apt, dependent upon his nature, to yield to the doubt whether it was 
best for the service or not. 

Mr. Gregg. It was just to protect the Secretary of the Navy, as 
you understand? 

Admiral Sands. That he could not carry it out, because it was a 
question whether the Navy would be most benefited by dismissal 
or pardon in this case and the substitution of another punishment. 
After all, the degree of punishment is a matter of opinion. The 
Superintendent, who is on the spot, might have an idea that prompt 
dismissal would produce discipline much more quickly than a slow 

E unishment, but the Secretary of the Navy might not agree with 
im; or, if he did, there are 20 or 30 rgore people who might disagree 
with the Secretary of the Navy and be able to persuade him of that 
fact. It is my impression that the reason the law was made was 
because they wanted some final and positive action that no one could 
appeal from. That is the way I see it from reading the act. 

Mr. Gregg. It seems to be the consensus of opinion that the pun¬ 
ishment for this offense should be graded like any other offense. 
Admiral Sands. I think so. 

Mr. Gregg. In grading it, ought the Congress, in your opinion— 
and I am simply asking for your judgment, as I want to get the benefit 
of it—to undertake to define the different grades and prescribe the 
penalty, or can the Superintendent manage that under the demerit 
system ? 

Admiral Sands. I consider that the Superintendent should be the 
one to decide what degree of punishment should be inflicted, always 
subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Navy. 


24 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Gregg. In other words, you might give 10 demerits for one 
species of hazing and 25 demerits for another; and if a boy kept it up 
he would finally dismiss himself from the institution ? 

Admiral Sands. I have graded punishments for what you consider 
simple offenses. For instance, only one class of midshipmen is 
allowed to smoke. If a member of another class smokes, his first 
offense is 25 demerits. If he smokes again it is a persistent violation 
of regulations, and I double the punishment on him—50 demerits 
for the second offense. Of course, by punishing in that way some 
midshipmen who have been perfectly willing to take the punishment 
of 25 demerits for each offense have found themselves outside of the 
walls of the academy in the course of two or three months, because 
it is what we call a persistent violation of regulations. That is, not 
being willing to obey the regulations, they persistently violated them. 
It is not a matter of chance at all, but being caught a certain number 
of times, and probably having been guilty hundreds of times^ he goes 
outside of the academy as one who is not amenable to discipline. 

Mr. Dawson. I have a question or two I would like to ask. Do 
I understand. Admiral, that in arranging the rules of discipline you 
have treated hazing the same as any other infraction of the rules ? 

Admiral Sands. Not as far as the law is concerned. I have 
abided by the law. The law requires me, upon proof of hazing, to 
bring the case before a court-martial. That is, if I am satisfied in 
my own mind that hazing has been committed, it is brought before 
a court-martial. I have no option about that whatever. The pun¬ 
ishment that is awarded by Congress for hazing is dismissal; so I 
have no choice—none whatever. I can not even exercise clemency 
in the matter at all. The law compels me to approve a recommenda¬ 
tion for dismissal of one who is found guilty by a court of hazing, 
and that my action of approval shall be final. If it is final, there 
is absolutely no clemency to be shown by me, and can not be. My 
approval is final, and the punishment is dismissal. The court- 
martial is tied down to a recommendation, if guilt is proved. 

Mr. Dawson. What steps have been taken to bring to the attention 
of these midshipmen the manner in which hazing is regarded by the 
law of the country? 

Admiral Sands. That I do not know. I can not tell. 

The Chairman. In the last two ruonths and a half, I think, it has 
been fairly brought to their attention. 

Admiral Sands. It has been brought to their attention that any 
act which tended to humiliate a midshipman of the fourth class was 
hazing, no matter of what character it was—anything that tended to 
humiliate him or to deprive him of any of his legal rights. 

The Chairman. I think I know the idea Mr. Dawson wants to 
bring out. Of course, during the last two months they have had haz¬ 
ing for breakfast, dinner, and supper. An investigating committee 
has examined hundreds of them and called their attention to the law 
specifically. 

Admiral Sands. And has explained to them exactly what was 
considered hazing. 

The Chairman. And in the future, when this has all passed away, 
and when new classes that have not heard much about it come in, 
will your regulations, in conformity with the law as it now stands, 
endeavor in some special way to bring to the attention of the new 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


25 


boys coming in the fact that hazing is specifically named by the law 
as a cause for dismissal ? 

Admiral Sands. The new regulations have in them at present all 
the laws bearing on the subject. I have put in one page of definitions, 
taken bodily from the West Point regulations, and there will be also 
the definitions given in the dictionaries, so that there can be nothing 
left to the imagination in the matter. 

The Chairman. The reason these new rules that you have made, a 
part of which are on account of this act of Congress of 1903, have not 
been promulgated is because of the fact that legislation is pending 
in Congress which may require a change ? 

Admiral Sands. That is all that I am waiting for now—for the 
publication of the regulations. I am waiting because I do not want 
any false information to go into the regulations. As you will notice, 
these books are filled up with slips, and it is confusing for me, and it 
must be altogether confusing to a stranger, to know what the regula¬ 
tions are. The midshipmen know them because they are familiar 
with the old regulations, and they know every slip that goes in and 
know the change. 

Mr. Dawson. The point I wanted to bring out was whether special 
attention had been directed to this subject in these regulations 
which you found when you came here—that is, whether the incoming 
class in June last had been especially impressed with the law relating 
to hazing? 

Admiral Sands. It is not in the regulations. 

Mr. Dawson. Are you familiar—I suppose you are—with the 
traditions of the Naval Academy? 

Admiral Sands. I am familiar with what you have seen in the 
public print only. I know nothing of these modern traditions at all. 
They call them modern tradations, because in my day—some forty 
years ago—we had nothing of this kind whatever. 

Mr. Dawson. When you were here forty years ago, was there such 
a thing as rating? 

Admiral Sands. No; we all had the greatest respect for the first 
class. 

The Chairman. That was in 1865? 

Admiral Sands. No; I came here in 1859. 

The Chairman. When was the academy established? 

Admiral Sands. In 1850, I think. I will tell you a personal expe¬ 
rience. I was a boy of 14 when I came here—a fair object for hazing. 
I was met on the parade a few days after I arrived by a member of 
the first class, who asked me my name and asked me if there was any¬ 
thing he could do for me. I told him there was nothing that I knew 
of, and he asked me to go along with him. I went, as a matter of 
course. He took me to a room where there were eight or ten of his 
classmates. They sat around talking. They looked at him in sur¬ 
prise for bringing me to that room. He said, am responsible for 
him.’’ Then they went on with their talking, without paying the 
slightest attention to me at all. I stayed ten or fifteen minutes. 
Then he turned around and said, ‘‘Youngster, I guess this is not very 
entertaining to you.” He said, “Let us leave.” Then he said, 
“You have seen this boy; I am responsible for him.” He said, “If 
you want anything in the academy you have every right to ask any 
one of these people, or you may prefer to come to me. My name is 


26 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


so-and-so/’ giving me his name. I never went to him, as a matter of 
course, because I did not need any assistance, but it showed the good 
will. There was no reason in the world why I should be anything 
to them. They were of superior rank and of superior age. They 
were, I suppose, 6 years older than I. 

Mr. Dawson. Who is the oldest naval officer in the academy in 
point of service here ? 

Admiral Sands. I am the oldest in point of service. 

Mr. Dawson. I mean in point of service in the academy. 

Admiral Sands. Prof. W. W. Hendrickson, head of the depart¬ 
ment of mathematics, my classmate. 

Mr. Dawson. How long has he been here? 

Admiral Sands. Nineteen years, I think he told me. Maybe he 
has been here longer; I have forgotten. It is a matter of some nine¬ 
teen to twenty-five years. 

Mr. Padgett. Would it not be very fortunate for the academy if 
you could get restored among all the upper classes that same spirit 
that you just described? 

Admiral Sands. That is what I am working for. 

Mr. Padgett. That is what we are working for and trying to do. 

Admiral Sands. You may get it by going to these people and let¬ 
ting them know that the change of tone in the academy is not a credit 
to it, and does not please the people at large—that they would like 
to see gentlemen here instead of bullies. 

Mr. Gregg. As I understand, the conduct of the upper classmen 
at that time was such as to command your respect and love instead 
of awe? 

Admiral Sands. I do not know that it was love. They were 
above love of a young fellow like me. 

Mr. Gregg. Affection, then. That is, they inspired affection. 

Admiral Sands. Evidently, because I recollect that man. I 
thought of him at once, as having treated me in that manner, which 
I thought was an unnecessary show of favor to a youngster. 

The Chairman. Once in awhile I run across- a naval officer who has 
graduated here in recent years, who has maintained that the system 
of hazing and rating has its uses in the development of the midship¬ 
men here. Their argument is that boys come in who have been per¬ 
haps pampered at home, who have never been* subjected to much 
discipline, and who were perhaps members of families distinguished 
along some line, boys who have become imbued with the notion that 
they are objects of special consideration, and expect to receive special 
consideration among their classmates here. Their view is that the 
system of hazing carried out, not in the extreme way—the system of 
rating—tends to impress upon these young men that their standing 
depends entirely upon themselves and not upon their relations, or for¬ 
tune, or condition; that by means of it they are enabled to knock off 
the corners and to fit them into the hole where they are assigned. I 
would like to ask your opinion as to that line of argument, whether 
anything of that kind is valuable, and whether in your new regulations 
any rating will be countenanced or recognized ? 

Admiral Sands. I do not think that line of argument is at all 
sound. In the first place, every assumption of authority to correct 
the faults of others is illegal and not to be countenanced. If these 
faults require correction, there should be some legal way of doing it. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


27 


The cadet officers and petty officers of the brigade are empowered to 
correct all errors of bearing, errors of«conduct in their commands. 
It is their business to do it, as a military thing. 

The Chaikman. How? 

Admiral Sands. By ordering these people to correct them. If a 
man is not holding himself properly, he is ordered to do so. Every 
man is held responsible for the character of his company. The officer 
in command of a company, the cadet officer, is the one to present the 
company in proper shape. He has a perfect right to give members 
of his own class, and members of the junior classes, any order which 
will tend to put them in proper military shape. 

Mr. Dawson. He can only give them when he is on duty, however? 

Admiral Sands. He is on duty at all times, day and night. In my 
regulations he is empowered to visit the rooms of the people under 
his command at all times, and if there is any disorder he is empowered 
to order the midshipmen to their rooms, and then he reports to the 
officer in charge what he has done. If he has exercised his authority 
unduly, he is punished for it. He has got to use proper judgment, 
and he must use that authority only in a legitimate way. But he is 
not empowered as a first classman to give any order whatever to any 
other classmen in the academy, but only as a cadet petty officer. 
The brigade organization is the one that controls this institution, and 
class organization has no recognition whatever. That is the point. 
If there is any line of training that is necessary for the midshipmen 
it is laid down in the regulations. We have regulations for infantry 
drills, regulations for the other drills, regulations for conduct, regu¬ 
lations for everything, and the midshipmen have no authority as 
such, but every man is responsible for his own company. Every 
officer and petty officer under him is responsible to him and all must 
assist him. All of these things that are supposed to be the result of 
hazing—all the good points—can be brought out in a legitimate 
manner. I have assumed responsibility for all those things in the 
future, because the people under me are ordered to do that as a mat¬ 
ter of discipline. They have no authority as classmen, but they 
have authority as officers of the brigade. Therefore there is no neces¬ 
sity whatever for hazing. 

The Chairman. Your own idea is, then, that the enforcement of 
the regulations of the academy will be sufficient as the years go by to 
discipline any boy and make him understand his duties and his rela¬ 
tions to his fellows ? 

Admiral Sands. Certainly. There is no personal relation what¬ 
ever; there is only the official relation. If he does his duty accord¬ 
ing to the law, nobody can find fault with him. If his personality is 
very objectionable, naturally there is no necessity for associating 
with him. It rests with the individual, just exactly as it does with 
all of us. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it not fact, admiral, that any assumption of author¬ 
ity has at least a tendency to make the one who assumes it tyrannical 
after he gets out in after life and gets authority ? 

Admiral Sands. You mean the illegal assumption of authority? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes. 

Admiral Sands. We have to assume authority frequently. 

Mr. Gregg. I mean authority that is not conferred upon him as a 
matter of fact, but illegally assumed authorit}' 


28 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. I think when you give it its proper definition it is 
bullying. I think a man who* assumes illegal authority must depend 
upon some superior force to carry out that idea, and that must be 
simply a force that can not be resisted by the other man without 
serious injury to himself. 

Mr. Gregg. And to the other man too. 

Admiral Sands. Yes. It becomes bullying, which is cowardly, 
and a thing which ought never to be encouraged, and I do not think 
they will ever abandon it in future life if they get it in their youth. 

The Chairman. Do you think there is anything included in the 
system of rates which has prevailed here that might properly be rec¬ 
ognized officiall}^, or any privileges that the first class claim that 
might perhaps be recognized by the authorities and therefore be 
made legal? 

Admiral Sands. I am endeavoring now to legalize some of those 
rates by treating cadet officers as commissioned officers as far as the 
routine of the academy will permit. I am going along gradually, 
intending to expand them later, allowing them freedom, as men of 
experience, from some of the restraints which are enforced upon the 
lower classes. For instance, there are times when a man who is on 
first-class conduct grade, and is a cadet officer, has authority to make 
visits to town without asking prior permission. That fact of being 
on the first-class conduct grade, and being a cadet officer, gives him 
that distinction, and the other people have to ask permission and are 
subject to being watched. When we find we can trust a man, and 
he has shown it, he is trusted. I am trying to make officers out of 
them. 

Mr. Dawson. Manly men? 

Admiral Sands. Manly men, and when they see that, I am sure 
they will rise to it. They have the best disposition in the world, if 
they only know, but they have been accustomed to think that the 
man in authority was their natural enemy and that anything that 
they could do to deceive him was legitimate. 

Mr. Dawson. May I ask you this: Is there anything in the existing 
regulations which makes this system of rating here illegal—anything 
in the regulations as you found them? 

Admiral Sands. I do not find it mentioned. The midshipmen 
will tell you that there are things that they feel justified in doing that 
they would not do in the presence of an officer, because they know he 
\tould report it—which shows that they knew they were illegal and 
should not be done. 

Mr. Dawson. Will not the recognition of certain privileges to 
which they are fairly entitled have the effect of making or emphasiz¬ 
ing the illegality of these other rates which the boys have set up them¬ 
selves ? 

Admiral Sands. That is my design. 

Mr. Dawson. That is your purpose? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The 'Chairman. There is a rate here regarding some walk, which I 
understand is not wide enough to accommodate all the students, and 
therefore only the first class has a right to walk upon it. 

Admiral Sands. No; I think the fact of the matter is that only the 
fourth class has not the right. 

The Chairman. All the other classes have the right? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


29 


Admiral Sands. All the others have the right. 

The Chairman. Would you consider it proper to legalize a rate of 
that kind? 

Admiral Sands. No, I do not think I would, necessarily. I think 
that would be rather a small matter, as the fourth class men them¬ 
selves think there is more humor in it than anything else. 

The Chairman. Would the authorities here object to its continua- ’ 
tion if it was not enforced by hazing or by illegal methods? 

Admiral Sands. I do not think it would be enforced by hazing. I 
think they accept those things as just, many of them. For instance, 
there is one rate that a fourth class man should not be allowed on the 
floor of the ballroom in his fourth-class year. I do not remember of 
ever seeing that in the regulations, but it is in my new regulations 
that he shall not be allowed on the floor of the ballroom in his fourth- 
class year. They are not allowed to.go to any of the dances in the 
fourth-class year except by special permission, when some of their 
relatives are here. 

Mr. Padgett. You make that an oflicial regulation? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; because I do not think it is a good thing for 
the fourth class men to devote too much time to dancing with the 
girls. It distracts their attention and takes their minds off their 
books. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think there is any connection between this 
system of rates and the practice of hazing ? Is one the cause and the 
other the effect or the partial effect one of the other—rates being the 
cause and hazing being the effect? 

Admiral Sands. I do not see how the hazing would come about 
unless it was for a violation of some of the rates. 

Mr. Gregg. Admiral, is the word they sometimes refer to ^Yatey’’ 
or ‘Yatty?” 

Admiral Sands. ‘‘Ratey.” 

Mr. Gregg. That is, a freshman who wants to have some rights 
himself is ‘Yatey?” 

Admiral Sands. Yes; he is ratey because he does not want to fol¬ 
low the rules laid down by the people that are not in the regulations. 
His idea is that he has his own rights and he intends to maintain them. 

Mr. Gregg. And they dub him ^Yatey;’’ 

Admiral Sands. Yes, and they all go for him. 

The Chairman. I understand the fourth class at present volun¬ 
tarily observe a good many of the rates? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. There is no objection on the part of the academy 
authorities ? 

Admiral Sands. I do not see how they can objpct if they want to 
do it. I do not see how we can touch them. 

The Cff airman. If they want to keep off of a certain walk you can 
not force them to do otherwise? 

Admiral Sands. We can not force them. Anything they want to 
do voluntarily that is not against the regulations thev may do. All I 
want them to do is to observe the regulations. If they do that they 
will have all anyone ought to be required to do. 

Mr. Gregg. Do the regulations or rules which you are promulgating 
contemplate any instructions to the next fourth class when they 
enter as to their rights and privileges? In other words, are they 
given any instruction? 


30 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. No. 

Mr. Gregg. As to no.t submitting to hazing or anything of that 
kind? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, no there never have been any more than 
giving them instructions about any other offense. Hazing, in my 
mind, is no more than any other offense. 

Mr. Gregg. I mean are any instructions given to them that they 
do not have to submit to it? 

Admiral Sands. All these people at present have been ordered not 
to submit to it. The next class has not been here yet. 

Mr. Gregg. I mean do your regulations contemplate that they will 
be instructed in the same way—the new ones coming in? 

Admu'al Sands. No; it has not even been considered as something 
that would be desirable, because up to the present time the thought 
has not entered our heads that it would be necessary to tell them that 
they should not submit to be treated in certain ways. It could very 
easily be made the subject of instruction at the same time that they 
take their oaths, but I do not know that it would be wise to have put 
into their minds, unless it is done in writing as a part of the regula¬ 
tions, the idea that they can judge as to whether an order that they 
receive is given by legal authority or illegal authority. They have 
got to be taught that and have got to be broken in in their fourth-class 
year. 

^Ir. Gregg. Would it not be well to include in the regulations some 
instruction of that kind? 

Admiral Sands. If you have an instruction in the regulations, 
which all the men are obliged to study, which says that these things 
shall not be permitted and goes into a detailed definition of what con¬ 
stitutes hazing, every man who reads that, the fourth classmen 
included, knows that it is forbidden, and he knows by that very fact 
that he is empowered to resist that, because it is illegal, that it is 
against the regulations, and that he wfill be protected in his rights. 
Why you should tell him to resist it I do not know. The regulations 
are given for everybody to read. Everyone of them has to post him¬ 
self on the regulations. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think the average fourth-class man who 
comes in here for the first time would be familiar with the distinction 
which, to my mind, arises between hazing and certain other forms of 
breaking the regulations ? That is, does he understand that in hazing 
he not only breaks the regulations of the Academy, but that he also 
breaks the law of the land—that he is a lawbreaker ? 

Admiral Sands. That is all down in the regulations. Every law 
on the subject is to be published in the regulations; so that he knows 
it is a law of Congress and a matter which is particularly before the 
country, as taking rank above all other offenses at the Naval Academy. 

Mr. Dawson. You called attention to it in the regulations, by 
printing the law? 

Admiral Sands. Not only by printing the law, but the articles for 
the government of the Navy, which embrace every crime known to 
naval men; and he is supposed to read those regulations and make 
himself conversant with them. Besides, about nine-tenths of our 
midshipmen are prepared in schools outside, where they have from 
one to two years’ preparation to enter the Naval Academy and where 
they learn more than we ever dream of of what is done at the Academy 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


31 


behind the curtains. They know and study, not only the regulations, 
but how to contravene them. 

Mr. Dawson. That reminds me of one tiling that I want to ask 
right there. Have you any knowledge of whether op not the practice 
of hazing is engaged in in the preparatory schools, the schools pre¬ 
paratory to the Naval Academy? 

Admiral Sands. I have no knowledge whatever of what goes on 
there except by common report. 

Mr. Dawson. Is it the common understanding that they haze 
there, before they come in here? 

Admiral Sands. It is the common understanding that they do 
everything a young man ought not to do. 

The Chairman. There are no classes there, however? 

Admiral Sands. There are no classes there, no. The young men 
are taken from all parts of the country, and they are free. There is 
no supervision over them, and where there are several hundreds of 
young men in an institution you can expect almost anything. 

The Chairman. The practice of hazing is no more important, I see, 
in the regulations, than the practice of gouging, lying, and insubordi¬ 
nation, and many other offenses; but the practice of hazing just now 
is the one which seems most prevalent. Would it not therefore be 
well—but of course you are doing it, and will do it—to give special 
attention to that violation of the law and of the regulations ? 

Admiral Sands. We are doing it to the full extent of our power, 
but I am assured, and I believe, that there is no hazing whatever at 
the Academy at the present time. 

The Chairman. We believe that. 

Mr. Gregg. But as a matter of prevention? 

Admiral Sands. What has prevented it in the last few weeks ought 
to prevent it in the future, because the same precautions have been 
taken on the part of the Superintendent and the same acceptance has 
been shown on the part of the midshipmen; and where the two par¬ 
ties are in accord I can not see that you could do any better. 

Mr. Gregg. I would like to ask you a question along that line. 
You spoke of the course you pursued with the petty officers—those 
petty officers have left here, have they not—about impressing on 
them the importance-- 

Admiral Sands. They have left here and gone immediately to sea, 
as punishment. They have been deprived of their leave and have 
gone immediately to sea. 

Mr. Gregg. Have you had the same course of dealing with the 
incoming men, those who will be petty officers ? 

Admiral Sands. They came in on the 12th of February, and my 
time has been so taken up since then that I have not spoken to any 
of them. 

Mr. Gregg. But it is your purpose to do so ? 

Admiral Sands. My purpose is as soon as I can get at these people 
to give them my positive orders in person and to ascertain whether 
they intend to obey them or not. I have the assurance of the presi¬ 
dent of the class that they are there, and there is no doubt in my 
mind that they have succeeded to the orders that were given the 
others. 

Mr. Gregg. They understand that they are stepping right into the 
place under the same conditions? 



32 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. Absolutely; because they have had from the 10th 
of the month to the 15th. They have had five days to carry out the 
orders that were delivered to their predecessors, because they came 
on active duty "while the others were undergoing examination, and 
they came into actual rank and authority on the 12th of February. 
Each man had his own appointment, signed by me, for the duties of 
his office. In that appointment, which he has before him and which 
he will probably frame, are set forth the duties of his office, and he is 
required to do those things. My orders are published and printed 
governing all these things; and his appointment states what his duties 
are and that he shall exercise authority and that others shall obey 
him. If any man accepts that without question he is supposed to 
have accepted all the duties of the office until such time as it is con¬ 
venient to impress it upon his mind. 

Mr. Gregg. Then the instructions that you gave to the others have 
not been specifically given to them ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; in this appointment. It states it. 

Mr. Gregg. I mean by the same method by which you gave it to 
those who were leaving? 

Admiral Sands. Except by word of mouth. I have not given it by 
word of mouth, but I have given them exactly the same written 
instructions that I have given the others. 

The Chairman. I understand you to say that the present board of 
investigation, with perhaps some changes in the make-up which neces¬ 
sity might require, will be kept continually? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; there is no change in that at present. 

The Chairman. Are you familiar with the West Point regulations 
at present? 

Admiral Sands. I am familiar with the regulations, but I have been 
made familiar with that part of it after my own action—that is, that 
West Point has a board of investigation in existence. 

The Chairman. I understand that at West Point, since the investi¬ 
gation five years ago on the outbreak of hazing there, such a board 
has been kept continually in existence. 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. Is it your purpose to occasionally endeavor to 
ascertain if hazing exists, even if no report is made ? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes. That is the reason I did not dissolve the 
board. It was after I had given that direction that I received the 
recommendation of the board itself that it should be kept in session, 
and then I was informed that that was the case at West Point. So 
we are all of one mind on that. 

Mr. Dawson. You can do that without any additional authority 
of law ? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes. I have absolute control in the appoint¬ 
ment of all boards here. The only thing I could not do myself was to 
appoint a board that could administer oaths without authority of the 
Secretary of the Navy. He having given me the authority for this 
board as long as I hold that board in session that authority remains. 

Mr. Dawson. And you can convene it and examine into condi¬ 
tions at any time ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; it is a board of investigation that can be 
called into session at any time. 

The Chairman. I want to ask you about the case of a boy named 
Bean, from Texas. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


3S 


Admiral Sands. I am sorry that you did not ask it five minutes 
ago. 

The Chairman. And also two other cases. I ask for this reason: 
A complaint has been made to the committee that Bean and, I think, 
two other boys were permitted to go along up to almost the day of 
graduation; that they had expended five or six or seven hundred dol¬ 
lars in the purchase of the necessary clothing and uniforms, and then 
were not permitted to graduate. The complaint was made that these 
boys should have been notified sooner, so that they would not have 
made this needless expenditure, which some of them, it seems, are 
iiof l^^ble to afford; and we thought it would be fair to the authori¬ 
ties if we had the exact knowledge about it. Is there any objection 
to it coming in here ? 

Admiral Sands. None whatever. In the case of Bean, his name 
has been on my desk for, I suppose, six or eight weeks, as to whether 
he should be dropped from the service as deficient in conduct. His 
demerits were continually mounting up; but I have held the case 
along to see whether it would be necessary for me to try him for haz¬ 
ing rather than to drop him for conduct. He had gotten beyond the 
limit. The charges of hazing were not finally in such shape, after 
my experience with the court-martial, that I was sure of proving it, 
and therefore I did not bring him before the court, although the 
charges are specified under oath, as to specified occasions. I thought 
inasmuch as he ought to go, whether for hazing or for conduct, that 
he had better take the least and not be subjected to trial. That is 
his case. One of those papers brought before me just a short time 
ago to sign was the letter stating the offenses which he had committed 
and for which I recommended that he be dropped. 

The Chairman. Could he have been reasonably notified that he 
could not graduate before it became necessary for him to purchase 
his clothing? 

Admiral Sands. No; because I had no knowledge of his purchase 
of his clothing at all. There were others who had more prudence. 
One gentleman who did graduate did not purchase his clothing, not 
because of any question of conduct, but he thought a physical defect 
was going to cause him to leave the service. He did not purchase 
his clothing, and he left the academy with his diploma without his 
necessary uniforms. Mr. Bean certainly knew what his conduct was 
during the whole year much better than the officers of the academy, 
and it was only the things he was caught doing that he was given 
demerits for. 

The Chairman. Was there any necessity for his purchasing cloth¬ 
ing before graduation ? 

Admiral Sands. There is no necessity for doing it. He had two 
weeks after graduation for doing it. 

Mr. Dawson. Under the requirements he would have two weeks? 

Admiral Sands. The others have two weeks’ leave, and some have 
more, dependent on the departure of steamers for foreign ports. He 
has no use for them for two weeks, but the tailors besiege this place, 
and they can not resist the temptation. They want to see them¬ 
selves in their new clothes. 

Mr. Dawson. We heard of one young man, a prudent individual, 
who came to the ball in civilian clothes. He wanted to be sure that 
he needed his uniform before he bought it. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-3 


34 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. Yes; that is the way of it. I think every mid¬ 
shipman in the academy knows that not one-half of the cases of haz¬ 
ing have been reported, and certainly not one-tenth of the infractions 
of the regulations. 

Mr. Dawson. Admiral, the law governing naval officers, I under¬ 
stand, requires a certain amount of sea duty as a prerequisite to ad¬ 
vancement in grade. 

Admiral Sands. No; the law does not require it in all grades. 
That is not the law in our service, because sometimes an officer is 
kept on shore on duty which is much more important to him than 
the going to sea would be, because he may be an expert in some line 
and the service can not spare him to go to sea. 

Mr. Dawson. Then he loses nothing by remaining on shore? 

Admiral Sands. No. 

Mr. Dawson. Could Admiral Brownson have been advanced? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Dawson. Could he have been advanced without leaving here 
and going to sea? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; it is dependent altogether on the Depart¬ 
ment’s wish. 

Mr. Dawson. Then there is nothing in the law at present which 
prevents leaving the superintendent here so long as it seems to be for 
the good of the service. 

Admiral Sands. Nothing whatever. The Department can leave 
an officer on any duty for as long a time as his services are desired. 

Mr. Dawson. The committee understood from some source that 
the existing law prevented leaving a superintendent here who seemed 
to be suitable for the place and adapted to it, as long as the Depart¬ 
ment might wish, owing to the necessity for sea duty under the law. 

Admiral Sands. Some officers remain six months and some might 
remain six or eight years. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you not think it a great misfortune for the school 
to have frequent changes in the head of it? 

Admiral Sands. I think, while there is a period of transition, that 
it is unwise to have frequent changes; but when we are settled down 
to routine I see no reason why they should not change the officers— 
I should say the instructors—once in three years and the Superin¬ 
tendent once in four years. I see no reason why that should not be 
done. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think the term of service of the superintend¬ 
ent and the commandant of midshipmen should expire together? 
Would it not be better if the superintendent and his immediate instru¬ 
ment in reaching and regulating the midshipmen should go at dif¬ 
ferent times, if one should remain? 

Admiral Sands. There are arguments on both sides. The super¬ 
intendent would like to carry out his own views and he would like 
his own man to do it, and not have someone to tell him constantly 
that the other method, he thinks, would be preferable. That is, he 
does not want to come here with the officer next below him wedded 
to certain ways. If he sees that reform is necessary, he would have 
very hard work to carry it out with a man who is imbued with the 
idea that reform is not necessary. I think, however, that about at 
least six months’ difference in the time of their leaving would answer 
the purpose of getting the superintendent fully acquainted with things 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


35 


as they exist before he changes the commandant. In that way he 
could make up his mind as to what was necessary to change and what 
had better remain, and when the time came, six months later, for 
the commandant to leave the successor to the commandant could 
then be told in what way it would be well to change the existing rules. 

The Chairman. It seems to be a well-settled principle in all col¬ 
leges and schools of the country that a man who is found adapted to 
the place should be kept as long as possible, and that a change from 
one man to another leaves a period m which the school suffers inevi¬ 
tably, while the incoming superintendent or president of a college, or 
whatever he may be, is obtaining the necessary information in rela¬ 
tion to it. 

Admiral Sands. Yes; I have myself thought that there should be 
some provision against all the officers leaving at one time. As we 
have it now we can not keep an officer even two years here. An offi¬ 
cer who is here for eighteen months is liable to go at any moment. 
In the middle of the year the graduating of this first class makes it 
possible to take a certain number of officers for active service afloat, 
without regard to the necessity of their being here to better the con¬ 
ditions, which were bad in the first term. I had hoped to be able to 
do better in the second term than in the first by a number of officers, 
but I am assured, and I have absolute faith in the assurance, that 
the officers are needed at sea, and that they will not be touched here 
where it is possible to avoid it. Yet this is the only place from which 
you can draw officers. At every other station the people are over¬ 
worked, having two or three duties to perform. 

The Chairman. How long has the surgeon here in charge now been 
here; several years? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir; he came here at my request about, I 
think, the 1st of September. The 1st of September, 1905, I brought 
him here. 

The Chairman. Then the surgeon was here during- 

Admiral Sands. The surgeon here before was here for two or three 
years. 

The Chairman. He was here while Admiral Brownson was here? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose he has a staff of assistants? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. Are any of them here? 

Admiral Sands. One is. His detachment came to-day. He is the 
only one, I think. His detachment came to-day, but he will not 
leave until Monday. He has been here for two years, at least. 

The Chairman. What is his name? 

Admiral Sands. Stone. Surgeon E. P. Stone. 

The Chairman. Can he be spared to appear before the committee 

to-morrow? , i • • i 

Admiral Sands. At any time. I will have to attend to it right 

away. 

The Chairman. We will have some others. 

Mr. Gregg. We had better take him right away, because he is 
going off to-morrow. 

The Chairman. We will take them in order. Our purpose is to 
inquire somewhat into class fighting—the. system of class fighting 
which seemed to prevail before hazing broke out. 



36 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. We think, from our present knowledge, that class 
fighting has been discontinued with the commencement of hazing. 
In your opinion, there is no class fighting at present? 

Admiral Sands. There is no class fighting at all. There may be a 
fisticuff now and then, but I have no information about it. 

The Chairman. We have information which tends to show that 
last year and the year before class fighting prevailed to a large extent. 
We would like to make some inquiries about it. 

Admiral Sands. There are officers here other han surgeons whom 
you can get on that subject. 

The Chairman. How would they have knowledge of it? 

Admiral Sands. I don’t know. I understood you- 

The Chairman. But you think they have knowledge of it? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, no, I do not. But they could tell you more 
than those who (ame this year. That is what I meant. If there is 
anything known, it is known to them—to those who are going away 
during this summer. None of the people who came with me, of 
course, knew anything about that. 

The Chairman. Is there not an officer named Snyder on your roll ? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir. He was one of those picked up, in addi¬ 
tion to his other duties, to take a turn as discipline officer, while all 
the people but the fourth class were away from the academy. By the 
way, he is on the sick list at the present time. 

The Chairman. Did you tell us that all of these four disciplinary 
officers had come here since you came? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Two of them, I think you said. 

Admiral Sands. There is only one of them that came here since I 
came. 

The Chairman. Did we get h’s name? 

Admiral Sands. I did not give the one that came with me. Lieu- 
tenant-Commande' McVay is the one that came with me. 

The Chairman. Do you know if there is a first-classman named 
Fitch still here? 

Admiral Sands. Fitch has gone. 

Mr. Dawson. Is Snyder here in the academy? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. You asked me if I punished anybody for 
infraction of the regulations. Fitch and Noyes, and I think Arm¬ 
strong and Jensen—and there may be one or two others—were 
reduced to the ranks by me for that Meriwether affair, at once. I 
recommended that they be turned back into the next class, but that 
was not within my province, and the Secretary of the Navy told me 
to punish them according to my power, and I gave them demerits. 

Mr. Dawson. Snyder will be here next week if we want to call him? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes. Snyder is here all the time. 

The Chairman. If Congress should provide degrees of punishment 
for hazing—brutal hazing and the hazing that in the opinion of the 
authorities here should require immediate dismissal—would you 
make punishment for lesser degrees, for minor offenses of hazing, 
upon the demerit system? 

Admiral Sands. I think so. 

The Chairman. Would it be nece sary in that case to keep the 
account of a midshipman for hazing and the demerits given him along 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


37 


that line separate from those already provided, or would you enlarge 
the number, or would you still 1 ave the present figures as the 
maximum which they could receive ? 

Admiral Sands. My new reo-ulations change all the figures. 

The Chairman. Do they enlarge them? 

Admiral Sands. They enlarge them. 

The Chairman. Did you have hazing ofl’enses in view in making 
it larger? 

Admiral Sands. No. I have put hazing and various other offenses 
in the new regulations as special, which means something above 100 
demerits—either recommendation for dismissal, or something above 
100 demerits—dependent upon the Superintendent’s ideas in the mat¬ 
ter, and other offenses from 100 down. But hazing is, with offenses 
against morality and other things, regarded as one of the most severe 
things we have. That special would allow me, you understand, to 
give any number of demerits I chose, or to recommend for dismissal. 

The Chairman. Do you mean that 100 would be the minimum 
which could be given for any degree of hazing? 

Admiral Sands. No; it allows me to take into consideration exten¬ 
uating circumstances. There is n fixed punishment for those 
offense . 

Mr. Gregg. A min'mum, but not a maximum? That special 
means not under 100? 

Admiral Sands. Special means anything from nothing to dis¬ 
missal. The special is not tabulated at all, because I can not tell 
what punishment to give for that offense. It is impossible for me 
to give a punishment that would be fixed for a certain offense. 

Mr. Padgett. You stated that in your new regulations you were 
increasing the number of demerits for certain things. 

Admiral Sands. For certain offenses that I consider more serious. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you increase the total aggregate? 

Admiral Sands. No, sir; I have not touched that. 

Mr. Padgett. You still leave the same aggregate. 

Admiral Sands. The same aggregate as it was before, so if a man 
happens to be in the first class and I give him 100 demerits it means 
that he is pretty close onto dismissal. 

Mr. Padgett. It leaves a margin of 50. 

Admiral Sands. It leaves a margin of 50 for the balance of the year, 
and leaves no margin for the first term. 

Mr. Padgett. It was the aggregate I was asking about. 

Admiral Sands. I was not thinking of the aggregate. Excuse me. 

Mr. Gregg. I understand you are simply referring to the fact that 
for some offenses you have increas d the number of demerits that 
would be given. 

Admiral Sands. That is the idea. If I had increased the number 
allowed I would have discounted the value of the punishment, so I 
kept the aggregate as it is and increased the punishment, so that if 
they are persistent violators of the regulations they stay a ver}^ short 
time in the academy. 

Mr. Padgett. I understood from a former conversation with you. 
Admiral, that getting the aggregate amount assigned to each class, 
of demerits, did not necessarily mean di missal. 

Admiral Sands. Not necessarily. 

Mr. Padgett. That is a matter that addresses itself to your sound 
discretion. 


38 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. That is the idea. We may report him as defi¬ 
cient in conduct, but we may have better reasons for not doing so. 

Mr. Padgett. It is left to your sound discretion—the number of 
demerits ? 

Admiral Sands. It is. I may state that looking to the interests of 
the Navy, if he is of value to the Navy, we do what we can to retain 
him; but if we become convinced that he is not of value to the Navy, 
we make the report w^hich we are permitted to, and recommend that 
we find him deficient in conduct if he has above the number of demerits 
that he is permitted. 

Mr. Padgett. If something should come up that would run him 
above, and still you thought he was a useful man and it was for the 
interest of the Navy to retain him, although he might have gotten 
in excess of the amount, he still could be retained? 

Admiral Sands. He could be retained. It is a great question 
whether it is willful or accidental in many cases. Willful infractions 
of discipline are things that we can not overlook, because it means 
that he is a man not at all fitted to command others. 

The Chairman. I suppose evidences of reform in his conduct 
would have a good deal of bearing. 

Admiral Sands. We give all the latitude we can to deserving 
people. 

The Chairman. How much discretion is left with your disci¬ 
plinary officers, if any, as to demerits given to midshipmen? 

Admiral Sands. They are allowed to judge of the case primarily. 
Their judgment is submitted to the commandant and is afterwards 
put before me for approval, and if I do not approve it it is altered. 
If the commandant does not approve it, he makes a note of it and 
submits it to me with his reasons. So they have the use of judgment 
primarily in the matter. If it is sound judgment we sustain it. 

The Chairman. How much, if any, opportunity for partiality 
or unfairness resulting from prejudice, or any reason, is there in the 
hands of these subordinate officers? 

Admiral Sands. There could not be much, because the question 
with them rests upon whether the excuse which is given by the 
offender is a reasonable one or not. Every offense is posted, and 
the offender is required by the regulations to submit a written excuse 
or explanation. If it is reasonable it is accepted. If it is not rea¬ 
sonable he gets a stated number of demerits for that offense. 

Mr. Gregg. Right in that connection: The report is made to the 
officer in charge? 

Admiral Sands. To the officer of the division. 

Mr. Gregg. He makes his report to the commandant ? 

Admiral Sands. He makes his report to the commandant. 

Mr. Gregg. Then it is made to you ? 

Admiral Sands. To me. 

Mr. Gregg. That includes reporting the boy’s excuse? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Has he then any right of appeal from you ? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, no; he appeals to me. 

Mr. Gregg. You are final? 

Admiral Sands. I have all to do with the discipline of the academy. 
Nobody in Washington could possibly alter any detail. 

Mr. Gregg. There is no appeal from your decision? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


89 


Admiral Sands. No appeal at all. 

Mr. Dawson. Then, under the practice, do the cadet officers and 
cadet petty officers initiate the demerit in every instance? 

Admiral Sands. They make the report; they have nothing to 
do with the demerit. They report the offense, and the officer or the 
division is the first court. He adjudges the guilt of the offender, 
and according to the guilt he assigns the fixed penalty. 

Mr. Dawson. He recommends a certain demerit? 

Admiral Sands. A certain demerit. That is fixed. He gets it 
from the list in the regulations. Then the commandant examines into 
that, and if there is any doubt in the matter at all he has his own 
witnesses up and inquires into it. When he has satisfied himself 
then he brings the case to me for final approval. So it has to go 
through three courts. The divisional officer in the first instance is 
a man who is desirous of maintaining discipline in his division with 
the least number of punishments in the way of teaching these young 
men to do their duty without fear. Then, of course, he being 
required to use his judgment fairly, and the duties of his office 
requiring him to be impartial, he has to submit his opinion again 
to an unbiased judge—the commandant. And he must come to 
me finally as a supreme court as to whether he is to be sustained 
or not. 

Mr. Dawson. Is that the practice with every demerit? 

Admiral Sands. Every one—from 1 up to 100. They all come 
to me. They are put on big sheets, with the name of the offender, 
the class to which he belongs; then comes the offense, and then the 
reporting officer—whether a midshipman or anyone else—whoever 
is on duty and is responsible for the maintenance of order, and then 
comes the action of the divisional officer on the demerits, of accepting 
or not accepting the excuse. It is all marked down. It has also 
the demerits that are in the regulation. That is signed by all those 
people. The divisional officer having signed it, the comniandant. 
signs it after examination and brings it to me for ratification. 

The Chaieman. To what extent do you call midshipmen before 
you in person for examination in connection with these cases of 
demerits ? 

Admiral Sands. Never; except when there is reason to consider 
them subject to dismissal. 

The Chairman. To what extent do they have the right to come 
to you personally if they desire to make personal explanation or go 
into it further? 

Admiral Sands. They always have a right to make the request, 
and that is submitted to me as to whether I will see them or not. 

The Chairman. Must they make it in writing? 

Admiral Sands. I do not think the regulations require that they 
shall make it in writing. I think they have come before me on the 
verbal notification from the commandant that such and such a mid¬ 
shipman had asked if he could see me on certain subjects. When 
my aide has brought in that request, I have answered as to whether 
I would see him or whether I would not. If it is a case that I have 
previouslv adjudged upon written testimony I may not^ see him. 
I do not recall an instance at this time when I did not see him. 

The Chairman. Do you know if there is any difference in the prac¬ 
tice prevailing now and the year before as to the liberty with which 
tsudents may come to the superintendent? 


40 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. I have no idea. Of- course I have sent for them 
very frequently when I needed information for myself. I have sent 
for them. I have sent for them in cases when I found the midship¬ 
men seemed to be misunderstood. Such a case came under my 
notice immediately after the return of the midshipinen from the 
cruise. A young man seemed to me to be reckless in piling up demer¬ 
its and punishment. I sent for him, and I shut my door and told 
him he was at perfect liberty now to say anything that was on his 
mind—to forget that he was a midshipman and tell me what was 
governing his conduct. The young man sat there for an hour and told 
me his difficulties from the time he first entered the Naval Academy. 
He was perfectly frank. He had no blame for anybody but himself, 
but he said he was misunderstood. He told the whole story right 
there, of how he had made efforts to resign and it had been refused 
him. I told him he was at perfect liberty to consult with his father, 
and make any statement to me that he might choose, in writing, 
after that consultation, and I would take it under consideration. 
He did so, and I allowed him to resign, or at least recommended to 
the Department to permit him to resign. He left. He was a manly 
fellow, but he was unfit for the service. He had absolutely nothing 
in common with the service. He said he could not bear for anybody 
to give him an order, and he could not give an order to anybody 
else. In military life that would never do. He resigned and went 
out West and put himself at once in a college and finished his educa¬ 
tion. There is a case where a man did not seek me, although I gave 
him the first opportunity to explain his conduct and helped him 
on his way. 

Mr. Dawson. Do the midshipmen seek interviews with the super¬ 
intendent with very great frequency? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, no; never unless they have something 
important. Their applications are principally in writing, asking 
permission to see a professor, or to speak to an officer on a certain 
subject, principally in regard to their marks. They are given that 
permission, and very frequently they are wrong. Sometimes they 
are right. Whenever that is the case, they are satisfied with the 
answer they get or the explanation. But they are not allowed to 
speak to an officer, or a professor, or instructor upon the subject of 
their marks or the subject of any report without authority from 
me. If they have any idea that they are not well treated, they 
have only to make that request in writing, showing that they are 
serious in the matter, and the matter is inquired into and righted at 
once. 

Mr. Dawson. The same relations do not exist then at the Naval 
Academy which exist at a collegiate institution—that is, between 
the scholars and the head of the institution? 

Admiral Sands. No; it could not be. There would be no possi¬ 
bility of governing them, of disciplining them. It would be impos¬ 
sible. They have got to have a regular gradation of appeal. If 
you allow a person to question an order that he has received, he will 
at once take that method of showing insubordination, and subordi¬ 
nation is the first requisite for military life. 

The Chairman. Well, gentlemen, perhaps we have put in enough 
time for one afternoon. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 41 

Admiral Sands. Do not bother about me. I am entirely at your 
service. 

Mr. Gregg. I think we have about covered the ground. 

The Chairman. We might want to ask the Admiral some addi¬ 
tional questions next week. 

Admiral Sands. If it is anything about the routine, I think the 
commandant can give you more information, because I do not bother 
myself about small details. 

Mr. Gregg. Our further investigation may develop the fact that 
we msij want to call you back again. 

Admiral Sands. I am at your service at any time. The question 
of minor details must come rrom the commandant, however, because 
he is given general directions, and he carries out the details under 
those gener^ directions. 

Mr. Daavson. In the matter of discipline? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes; all orders; all the way through. You 
asked me this morning something about the manner in which my 
orders were given to the midshipmen. All general orders that per¬ 
tain to the whole body of midshipmen are pubished regularly- at 
formation. They are read out by the brigade adjutant before all 
the midshipmen, and then posted, so that they have full knowledge 
of what is intended. 

The Chairman. What does ‘^posted” mean? 

Admiral Sands. Put on the bulletin boards for the different bat¬ 
talions. 

Mr. Gregg. In the corridors? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

Mr. Loud. How many bulletin boards are there? 

Admiral Sands. I don’t know. There are at least a dozen. I 
don’t know how many. 

Mr. Gregg. Are the demerits posted every night? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; the demerits. 

Mr. Gregg. And the cause of the demerits? 

Admiral Sands. Everything is posted there. 

Mr. Gregg. Then if a boy finds he has a demerit for some parti¬ 
cular thing and wants to make an explanation he makes it in writing 
to the commandant? 

Admiral Sands. That is made before he gets the demerit. The 
offense is published. 

Mr. Gregg. Published how? At formation or read out or posted? 

Admiral Sands. Posted in each battalion. 

Mr. Gregg. And he can come there and see it? 

Admiral Sands. Certainly. 

Mr. Gregg. And when he sees that if he wants to make any expla¬ 
nation he makes that in writing? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Can he come in person to the commandant? 

Admiral Sands. No; in writing. Otherwise the commandant 
wouldn’t have anything to do but to listen to 800 youngsters. It 
is put in in writing, and he examines it at his leisure. 

Mr. Gregg. I attended a militarjr school at one time and we went 
to the commandant in person; but if we did not have an excuse we 
never went. 

The Chairman. If you thought you were unjustly dealt with? 


42 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Gregg. Yes; we went then. 

Admiral Sands. You can always go to the commandant; there 
is no doubt about that. But the regular routine is that he must 
put it in writing and ask for permission to make an explanation. 

The Chairman. I suppose in a good many cases no explanation 
comes in? 

Admiral Sands. Yes; and for small matters—one demerit, for 
instance—I suppose they think there is no use in troubling about it, 
and they do not notice how the demerits are piling up. 

The Chairman. Admiral, I will ask you the question as to what 
your personal opinion is of what is known as hazing, and of these 
practices embraced under that term, and your reasons for such 
opinion? 

Admiral Sands. I consider the term ^‘hazing’^ to embrace all 
forms of running and fagging (or menial service), as well as what 
may be specifically called physical hazing. In brief, any and all 
forms of unauthorized or illegal requirements of underclassmen by 
uppeiy classmen, since all such requirements tend to lower the self- 
respect of the victim and to restrict him in the exercise of his per¬ 
sonal rights and liberty. 

In my opinion hazing is both cowardly and ungentlemanly—cow¬ 
ardly because it is taking advantage of one more or less helpless and 
defenseless; ungentlemanly because it is cowardly. For both rea¬ 
sons it is entirely at variance with the ideas and. rules of conduct 
that should prevail in the formation of a naval officer. 

I consider that cowardliness in hazing exists in both the perpe¬ 
trator and the coerced victim. In the former because he counts 
upon the defenselessness and nonresistance of the latter; in the 
latter because he permits himself to be cowed and coerced without 
self-assertion of his rights—without resistance. 

The subcommittee (at 5.30 o’clock p. m.) adjourned until tomor¬ 
row, Friday, February 16, 1906, at 10 o’clock a. m. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., February 16, 1906. 

The subcommittee met at 10 o’clock a. m. Hon. E. B. Vreeland 
in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF SURGEON E. P. STONE, U. S. NAVY. 

The Chairman. Surgeon, the officers that we desire to hear are 
appearing before the committee in pursuance of an order from the 
President and the Secretary of the Navy through the superintendent. 
That being the situation, we do not administer an oath to the officers 
who appear before us in the performance of their duty. 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Doctor, how long have you been here? 

Surgeon Stone. I have been here about twenty-two months. 

The Chairman. How much of a corps of doctors do you have con¬ 
nected with the academy here? 

Surgeon Stone. Usually five. It fluctuates, but we generally 
have five. Sometimes it goes down to as few as three. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


43 


The Chairman. What is the name of the position which you hold? 

Surgeon Stone. It has not any special name. 

The Chairman. Assistant ; urgeon, surgeon, or what? 

Surgeon Stone. I am the second one in rank, but there is no spe¬ 
cial designation. I am simply one of them. 

The Chairman. You are all surgeons, and the only rank would 
be the order in which you came in? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; except that one of the medical officers 
is detailed entirely for the gymnasium work—the physical training. 

The Chairman. Does one of the corps stay at the gymnasium 
during their practice exercises? 

Surgeon Stone. I do not know that he is there all the time that 
they are practicing. I don’t know just how he arranges the work. 

The Chairman. What do you mean by being detailed for those 
exercises ? 


Surgeon Stone. He is supposed to examine them and to deter¬ 
mine what group of muscles, for instance, wants to be developed, 
and to see that the men who go out for various athletics are in 
physical condition to take the exertion. 

The Chairman. Where does he do that; at the gymnasium? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; at the gymnasium. He has an office 
there, and there are certain records kept of the strength and growth, 
and that sort of thing, of the men. He keeps those and he makes 
those examinations. 

The Chairman. He is away, somewhere, from .where you stay? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not know whether he is at the gymnasium 
during the day or not? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir, I do not, except in a general and casual 
way, know anything about his personal movements. 

The Chairman. What is your general and casual knowledge 
of where he is ? 

Surgeon Stone. I know he has certain hours at the gymnasium, 
and that at certain times of the year he is making these examinations 
of all the midshipman in the academy, and that when the various 
athletic events are on—the baseball, and the football, and crew, and 
so forth—he is working more or less with them. 

The Chairman. The others of the medical staff stay where? 

Surgeon Stone. The three of us do most of our duty over in sick 
quarters. There is one medical officer, the junior, who attends to 
the sick at the marine barracks and down on the Santee. 

The Chairman. What is the method of finding out about the sick 
here; is there a roll call in the morning, or anything of that sort? 

Surgeon Stone. There are two sick calls sounded during the day. 
Anyone who wishes to consult the doctor comes to sick quarters 
at that time. In case of an emergency, or of sudden sickness, or any¬ 
thing of that kind, there is an officer of the day that can be called 
upon at any time during the day. 

The Chairman. A boy who is sick at any time, day or night, can 
communicate with the officer in charge. 

Surgeon Stone. The medical officer of the day. 

The Chairman. And could get permission to come to the hospital 
or the headquarters, or whatever you call it ? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; and if he is not able to come the medical 
officer goes to his quarters and sees him. 


44 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Do you treat them there; do you have beds there 
and hospital arrangements ? 

Surgeon Stone. At the sick quarters; yes. 

The Chairman. At the sick quarters ? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; the regular sick calls are all held there, 
and those who are too sick, for any reason, to go on with their duties 
and studies are taken into the hospital. Then the others are simply 
prescribed for, and they come for treatment at various times. 

The Chairman. How many have you there at the present time? 

Surgeon Stone. I think about six or seven were there yesterday 
morning. I have not been there this morning, so I do not know 

The Chairman. What were they suffering from; injuries or 
sickness ? 

Surgeon Stone. Sickness, I presume. I really could not tell you. 
The duty is arranged so that Doctor McCormick and I take it week 
about in attending to the sick in the hospital. This happens to be 
Doctor McCormick’s week, so that I do not know just about the 
cases that are there now. 

The Chairman. What were the cases when you left? 

Surgeon Stone. On my last day’s duty there was only one man, 
with a sore throat. 

The Chairman. Do you work all the time for a week and then 
have a week off? 

Surgeon Stone. We take the morning sick call, and we look out 
for those that are sick in the hospital for one week. Then we have 
our day’s duty, and whatever board work we may have, and all that 
sort of thing, irrespective of that. 

The Chairman. Do you have many accidents from the gymnasium ? 

Surgeon Stone. Comparatively few, except from minor things, 
like a sprained hand or something of that kind. 

The Chairman. They are usually of that class—sprains? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How does the work in the sick quarters this year 
compare with that of last year? 

Surgeon Stone. It is very much less than last year. 

The Chairman. What causes the difference; a larger number of 
students ? 

Surgeon Stone. I don’t know what causes that. I have specu¬ 
lated on it myself. Yet there seems to be, as a matter of fact, a 
fewer number of men who come to the sick calls than did last year, 
and the hospital averages fewer men in the hospital than it did last 
year. 

The Chairman. How do the accidents and sprains and injuries 
compare with last year? 

Surgeon Stone. Well, I think perhaps they are just about the 
same in proportion to the total number. 

The Chairman. When a boy comes in there with an injury. Doctor, 
tell us what the proceeding would be ? 

Surgeon Stone. Well, it would be to examine the injury and deter¬ 
mine what it was, and determine how much it incapacitates him. 
If it seems to be so severe that he can not go on with his work, then 
he is admitted and put under treatment. ’ 

The Chairman. Yes; would that be all of the proceedings? 

Surgeon Stone. Of course every man that is admitted is reported 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


45 


each morning in the morning sick call in the morning report. If 
anyone is admitted after the sick call in the morning his name is sent 
down to the commandant, to let them know there that he is in the 
hospital. 

The Chairman, \\hat would your report to the commandant be? 

Surgeon Stone. Simply his name and class. 

The Chairman. Anything about the injury? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Anything about how he received it ? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Is any inquiry made by you as to how he receive 
it ? 

Surgeon Stone. There would naturally be some inquiry if it was 
not self-evident. 

The Chairman. Were there any of them self-evident, as to how 
they happened ? 

Surgeon Stone. Oftentimes you can form a pretty good idea of 
how a thing has happened. 

The Chairman. Do you ask the student? 

Surgeon Stone. Oh, yes; we generally ask them, just as you 
would with any other patient, and get what history you can of the 
case. We find out all that can be found out about it. 

The Chairman. As you do with any other patient. You mean in 
general practice? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then if it occurs to you to ask him how it hap¬ 
pened you would, and if it did not occur to you you would not? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes. 

The Chairman. It would not be any part of your duty to inquire 
how it happened ? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. Of course every man who is admitted on 
the sick list has a statement made as to whatever his sickness or his 
injury is, whether it has originated in the line of duty or not; and every 
case is inquired into enough to enable the medical officer to form an 
opinion as to whether the injury, whatever it is, is something that 
has occurred legitimately in connection with his duties, his drills; 
whether it is an accident or something that was unavoidable on his 
part, or due to the conditions of climate, etc., or not. That statement 
has to be made in every case that is admitted to the journal. 

The Chairman. I have been endeavoring to find out whether there 
is any duty on.your part or on the part of the other medical officers 
down in the sick quarters to find out when a boy comes in with a 
broken arm or a broken jawbone as to how that happened. Is there 
any duty on your part or not ? 

Surgeon Stone. To that extent. 

The Chairman. To what extent? 

Surgeon Stone. Of determining whether it originated in the line 
of duty or not. 

The Chairman. Does your duty in this academy require you to 
inquire of the boy how the accident happened ? 

Surgeon Stone. Not beyond that. 

The Chairman. Your understanding is that it is not a part of your 
duty to make any inquiry about the origin of the accident or how it 
happened ? 


46 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Surgeon Stone. As I say, we have got to make that statement, and, 
of course, you have got to inquire to a large extent into it to be 
able to make that statement intelligently. 

The Chairman. Does your duty as a medical officer in this acad¬ 
emy require you to inquire of the students appearing there with 
injuries as to how they happened? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you, as a matter of fact, inquire of each student 
who comes in with an injury as to how it happened? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What do you do with the information? 

Surgeon Stone. I use it in making the history of the case in the 
medical journal. 

The Chairman. That is entered in the books, is it? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Doctor, can you come here this afternoon and 
bring us one of your journals, as you call them, in which you enter 
this information? 

Surgeon Stone. I could get it for you in three minutes if I sent 
an orderly. Shall I do that? 

The Chairman. Yes; if you will. I will call him in. 

Surgeon Stone. I will send for what medical journals they have 
over there. I do not know how far back they will go, because as soon 
as a journal is completed it is supposed to be sent to Washington to 
be put on file in the Bureau. So I do not know how far back they 
may have them there at the sick quarters. 

The Chairman. The origin of the accidents is entered in the books? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What report do you make of that, and to whom? 

Surgeon Stone. You just enter it in the journal, and then, of 
course, a report is made to the senior medical officer if it is consid¬ 
ered anything out of the usual. 

The Chairman. The senior medical officer in charge? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What does he do with it? 

Surgeon Stone. I don’t know that he does anything with it, 
except to be informed as to what is going on in the hospital and what 
cases are there. 

The Chairman. Then no information is developed in sick quarters 
if a boy comes in with a broken jaw as to whether he got it falling 
down stairs, playing football, being hazed, being engaged in a fight, 
or in what manner it originated, that is given to any other officer in 
this institution ? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir; without it is called for. There is nothing 
in any order or custom or rule or regulation of the academy that 
I know of that calls for that information to be given. It is in the 
judgment of the senior medical officer. If he thinks that it is some¬ 
thing that should be reported to the superintendent I presume he 
reports it to him. 

The Chairman. The rules for the interior discipline and govern¬ 
ment of the United States Naval Academy—do they apply to you as 
one of the officers on duty here ? 

Surgeon Stone. I suppose so; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They apply to all the officers attached to the 
academy? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


47 


Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do not these rules make it the duty of every 
officer attached to this academy to report all cases of breach of disci¬ 
pline or any information necessary thereto—any discovery of 
breaches of discipline? 

Surgeon Stone. I do not know whether they do or not, sir. I 
have never considered that I had anything to do with the discipline 
of the academy or the disciplinary department of the academy. 

The Chairman. That is what we wanted to find out—as to who 
are responsible for the things that happen and who are not. Rule 
12, in the Regulations of the Naval Academy, page 7, says: 

It shall be the duty of all officers, naval and civil, at the academy, who have knowledge 
of anv violation of a regulation, or of any neglect or improper conduct of which a midship¬ 
man has been guilty, to report the fact to the commandant of midshipmen. Cases of neg¬ 
ligence or impropriety on the part of any other person connected with the academy shall be 
reported by the person observing them to the superintendent. 

If a boy comes in with his jaw broken and you ask him how it 
happened, and he tells you that he received it in a fight, would that 
be a case of breach of discipline? 

Surgeon Stone. I suppose it would be. 

The Chairman. Would it be your duty to report that to anybody? 

Surgeon Stone. I never had understood that it would. 

The Chairman. How do you understand it now. 

Surgeon Stone. Well, I suppose it would look as though it was 
expected. I never have seen that paragraph before. 

The Chairman. You have seen the book? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir—yes, I have seen the book, but I have 
never studied it at all. When I came here I simply dropped into the 
routine and custom that I found here established by my predecessors 
and those that were here. 

I have here now the medical journal that you wished me to send for. 

The Chairman. How far back does that one go. Doctor? 

Surgeon Stone. It goes back to May 29, 1905. 

The Chairman. Can you find some case there of an accident or an 
injury to a boy? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes; there is one of dislocation. 

The Chairman. Give the name of it so the stenographer can take 
it down. Give the name, the date, and what you have entered in 
relation to it. 

Surgeon Stone. The date is September 9, 1905. Do you want the 
man's name ? Do you w^ant me to read the full record ? 

The Chairman. Yes; read the full record. 

Surgeon Stone (reading): “Ordway, Earl Prime; midshipman, 
fourth class; age, 19 t?; native of Michigan; luxatio. Origin, line 
of duty. Due to an accident occurring in gymnasium." 

Do you wish me to read the liistory of the case ? I suppose that 
entry is the thing you are most interested in, that I just read? 

The Chairman. What sort of an accident was that? 

Surgeon Stone. That was a man who fell from the swinging rings 
in the gymnasium, and dislocated one of the breast bones. 

The Chairman. Is that there? 

Surgeon Stone Yes. 

The Chairman. Give us the whole record that you have entered 
there. 


48 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Surgeon Stone (reading): ‘‘Fell from rings, striking flat on the 
floor, with arms extended backward. Dislocation between front 
and second pieces of sternum. Pain on breathing and movements. 
Adhesive straps across chest.^’ 

That is the complete record. 

The Chairman. Can you find there a case called the Kimbrough 
case, December 12th or 13th? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes. 

The Chairman. Give us the full information that you have entered 
in that case. 

Surgeon Stone (reading): “Kimbrough, Jerdone Pettus; midship¬ 
man, fourth class; age, 17f; native of Tennessee; syncope. Origin, 
in line of duty. Due to causes incident to academy life.'' 

I might say, in explanation of that, which perhaps you do not 
understand, that that was put down “in line of duty’’ for the reason 
that the boy was not considered himself responsible; that it was 
something that he did not bring on himself voluntarily, something 
that he was subjected to, and not something that because of his own 
indiscretion or imprudence caused the injury. Then the history is: 

“Was severely hazed by being made to ‘stand on his head for a 
long time. He fainted once and was revived and made to go on 
standing on head. He was found by the officer in chpge uncon¬ 
scious and brought to the hospital. Pie reached the hospital between 
8.30 and 9 p. m. He was unconscious, delirious, and thrashed about 
bed. He was in a condition of profound shock. Given subcu of 
morphia, a quarter of a grain.” 

That is the entry record. 

The Chairman. Would any report of that be made—of the infor¬ 
mation you put down there as to the hazing part of it? Would you 
make any report of that anywhere ? 

Surgeon Stone. As a matter of fact this case was first seen by 
Doctor Byrnes, who is the senior medical officer, and I know from 
what he told me that he immediately reported it; at least I do not 
know that he reported it that night, but he reported it in the morning. 

The Chairman. To the superintendent? 

Surgeon Stone. To the superintendent. The ordinary naval regu¬ 
lations that govern medical officers in these matters, is that the report 
of an injury that would give rise to a pension is reported at once to 
the commanding officer; but not necessarily in other things. But 
the journal is the journal of the station or ship, or whatever it may 
be, which is open to the inspection of the commanding officer at any 
time he chooses to send for it. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

. Surgeon Stone. And in some stations the commanding officers as 
a matter of custom call for this journal every few days and look it over 
to see what the medical record of the ship or station may be. 

The Chairman. That is along the lines of general information on 
the part of the commander of the ship ? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The C)hairman. Of course, here you have another element; that 
is the discipline of the academy, which enters into the matter. In 
the Meriwether-Branch fight, were either of them treated in the 
hospital ? 

Surgeon Stone. Both were. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


49 


The Chairman. Show us the record, please. 

Surgeon Stone. I do not know just how these records will read 
at fipt, because oftentimes a boy is admitted, and the day he is 
admitted they put down what is found at the time. It is just like 
the record that would be made in a civil hospital, or anywhere where 
medical records are kept. You put down what you find at the time, 
and in the course of the case there may be other facts develop that 
are not in the first record. 

The Chairman. Were you there when either of them were brought 
in? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes,, sir; I was there when both of them were 
brought in. I was the first one who saw both of them. 

The Chairman. You were the officer in charge at the time? 

Surgeon Stone. I happened to be on duty that day. That was 
in November, I think. Mr. Meriwether came in first. He came in 
the night of the fight, and Mr. Branch did not come in until the next 
morning. They were both admitted in the journal, the same day, 
because Meriwether came in—oh, yes, I was mistaken in saying that 
Meriwether came in that night, because they both came in the same 
day, but at different times. Would you like to have me read the 
Meriwether record? 

The Chairman. Yes, give the record of both to the stenographer, 
please. 

Surgeon Stone. I do not think you will want the whole Branch 
record. It covers three or four pages here. Perhaps if you would 
glance over it you might see what part you want and what part you 
do not want. 

The Chairman. I want the medical part of it. 

Surgeon Stone. It starts there, and covers down to there [indi¬ 
cating]. 

The Chairman. No, we do not care about the matter of. details of 
the treatment. What we would like to have you give is the entry- 

Surgeon Stone. Of disease and origin? 

The Chairman. The information that was put down, if any, as to 
how the injuries were received? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What was the time of day when Meriwether was 
brought in ? 

Surgeon Stone. He was one of the first that came over at sick call. 

The Chairman. In the morning? 

Surgeon Stone. At the morning sick call. Then before the sick 
call was over we got word about Branch, and he was sent for; so that 
he came in perhaps an hour or an hour and a half later than Meri¬ 
wether. 

The Chairman. The fight took place sometime during the night? 

Surgeon Stone. It took place—yes, sir; it was about 8 o’clock, as 
I remember it, that it began. 

The Chairman. In the evening? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Now, will you please read each of those and let 
the stenographer take them? 

Surgeon Stone (reading): ‘‘Meriwether, Minor, jr.; midshipman, 
third class; age, 19/^; native of Tennessee; stremma shoulder; 
origin, not in line of duty. Due to injury received in a fight.” 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-4 




50 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Do you want me to read the medical history—shoulder painful 
on movement, and so forth? 

The Chairman. Yes; you might read until you strike the details 
of treatment. 

Surgeon Stone (reading): ‘^Shoulder is very painful on move¬ 
ment, and motion is limited; left ankle is also sprained^ and swollen 
about outer malleolus.’^ 

That is all of the Meriwether record. Then the Branch record is 
as follows: ''Branch, James Robinson, jr.; midshipman, second class; 
age, 19 tV; native of Virginia; apoplexia, traumatic; origin, not in 
line of duty. Injuries received in a fight. During morning sick call 
it was reported that he was in his quarters, and m bad shape. He 
was brought to the hospital and found to be unconscious; temperature 
lOlyV; pulse, 80. The left temple above eyes, the mouth, and left 
side of face were much swollen and contused, and there were many 
bruises on arms, especially the forearms.’^ 

All the rest consists of details of symptoms and treatment. 

The Chairman. Suppose, Doctor, that either Branch or Meri¬ 
wether had said that he received the injuries in the gymnasium, 
would you have put that down? 

Surgeon Stone. Not if I thought the weight of the evidence was 
that he did not receive it there, but received it in some other way. I 
should exercise my judgment as to whether he was telling the truth 
or not. 

The Chairman. Well, suppose your own judgment was that it was 
not the result of a fall in the gymnasium, or an injury in the gym¬ 
nasium, how would you go to work to ascertain what had happened? 

Surgeon Stone. Well, I could only do it by questioning them 
and by taking what answers they would give; and if it was not any¬ 
thing very serious, if it was a simple thing that was of no particular 
importance, I probably would not think it was necessary to be very 
accurate, more than to determine whether it was in the line of duty 
or not. If I thought it was something that had not occurred in the 
line of duty, as I say, if it was a simple thing and a matter of no 
physical importance, I would probably just content myself with 
saying that it was not in the line of duty, without trying to find out 
absolutely how it happened. 

The Chairman. There is no requirement, then, by the rules of the 
institution, or the orders of the superintendent, or any duty imposed 
upon you from any source, to inquire into the origin of these acci¬ 
dents ? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Beyond what the boys say, unless it is of a very 
serious nature ? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. I think that my feeling has always been, 
personally, about the matter, that I was simply the doctor here to 
take care of the people here as a doctor, and not connected particu¬ 
larly with the administration of the institution. 

Mr. Dawson. Or the discipline? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; except so far as it concerns our own 
particular province of the hospital. I feel that the medical officers 
are responsible for the good order and proper behavior, and that sort 
of thing, of the midshipmen in the hospital. 

The Chairman. Can you usually tell. Doctor, from the injuries 
which students receive, about what the source of them would be? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


51 


Surgeon Stone. Well, I think, roughly speaking, you can. For 
instance, if a boy comes in with his eyes blacked up, and that sort of 
thing, it is a pretty fair inference that he has been in a fight with 
somebody. Of course there are other injuries that you could not tell. 

The Chairman. Since the first of September last, have many boys 
reported to the hospital for treatment of injuries of that nature, 
where you would judge from their appearance that they were the 
result of fights ? 

Surgeon Stone. My recollection is that there have not been any 
since the Branch-Meriwether affair. I think there may have been 
one or two before that, but I am not positive. 

The Chairman. The Branch-Meriwether affair was in November? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes. 

The Chairman. From the 1st of September—the classes, however, 
did not arrive here until the 1st of October, did they, the senior 
classes, outside of the fourth class? 

Surgeon Stone. The 1st of October. 

The Chairman. During the month of October, and up to the time 
of the Branch-Meriwether fight, you recall a few instances? 

Surgeon Stone. Come to think of it, I do not believe there were 
any during October, or if there were they were very slight affairs; I 
do not remember. 

The Chairman. Two or three are all you remember about during 
that period—the whole fall—up to the time of the Branch-Meriwether 
fight? 

Surgeon Stone. Well, from the 1st of October up to the Branch- 
Meriwether affair I do not recall any. 

The Chairman. The amount of fighting done, then, during the 
present school year has been very slight ? 

Surgeon Stone. So far as I know; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is it your understanding. Doctor, that during the 
preceding year a large number of fights took place ? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir; I can not be accurate as to the figures, 
but my impression is that I have seen the victims of from ten to 
twelve fights since I have been on duty here. 

The Chairman. In twenty-two months? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Of course a great many fights might take place 
where the injury was not severe enough so that they would report to 
the hospital? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose that men with black eyes, or injuries of 
that kind, do not necessarily come to the hospital? 

Surgeon Stone. No; they try to conceal it; unless they have to. 

The Chairman. Unless it is more serious? 

Surgeon Stone. And it is very hard, oftentimes, to make them 
admit anything about how their injuries occurred. I think there is 
a custom here that a cadet is not obliged to incriminate himself, 
so that if they are reluctant to answer and refuse to answer, why, 
I do not know that they thought it worth while to investigate, or try 
to make them tell. If I was pretty sure it was a fight—anyway, I put 
it down as a fight, no matter what they say. 

The Chairman. The view prevails to quite an extent that fights 
are pretty sure to occur among a body of young men like this? 


52 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And perhaps, if they do occur once in a while, 
that it may not be a very bad thing for the institution ? 

Surgeon Stone. On that matter I think I can say that ever since I 
have been in the service I have heard of these fights going on at the 
academy between midshipmen and between classes, and I suppose 
that everybody else in the service has heard of them. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Surgeon Stone. And that it was an accepted thing that the fights 
did occur. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Surgeon Stone. And that it is not very much different from the 
way they might occur in any school, except that they had sort of 
crystallized their routine of carrying them out a little more than 
others. 

The Chairman. Surgeon, you use the word service. Did you mean 
the service here? 

Surgeon Stone. No; I meant in the Navy. 

^Ir. Gregg. You do not limit it to here? 

Surceon Stone. I mean that as I have been associated with differ¬ 
ent officers, graduates of the academy, since I have been in the serv¬ 
ice, and they have reminisced of their days down here, they would be 
apt to tell of some fight that occurred in their class, or during their 
time here, or something of that kind. 

The Chairman. Now, Doctor, do you understand that the fights 
that took place here, more particularly before the present school year, 
were along the lines of what they call class fights? Does that prac¬ 
tice prevail? You understand what I mean by class fighting? 

Surgeon Stone. I have understood, just in a general way, as you 
hear what different midshipmen tell you, as you talk about it, that 
there were rules among the midshipmen themselves governing their 
fights with reference to certain class conditions. 

The Chairman. Yes. You understood, I suppose, that these fights 
usually resulted from the refusal of lower-class men to perform acts 
required of them by upper-class men? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir; I do not understand that that is neces¬ 
sary. Of course it may be the origin of a good many; but if anything 
comes up in which one man may feel aggrieved, they are liable to 
settle it with a fight. It might be in connection, possibly, with some 
running, or hazing, or it may be entirely a personal matter. 

The Chairman. But that is not what is termed class fighting, is it, 
if two individuals fall out and fall upon each other ? They may be in 
the same class, and that is a personal encounter; but you do not 
understand that to be meant when we speak of class fighting ? 

Surgeon Stone. I am just telling you what I do understand. 

The Chairman. Yes; state what it is. 

Surgeon Stone. It is simply as I understand it, as a matter of 
gossip. It is not anything that I know of personally. 

The Chairman. Yes; it is hearsay. 

Surgeon Stone. I am outside of the classes- 

The Chairman. I understand; yet you are within the walls here, 
and you are going around here. 

Surgeon Stone. Yes; I have, of course, heard something of it 
since I have been at the academy—more of the details of it than I did 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 53 

when I was out in general service. As I understand it, a plebe, 
a fourth-classman- 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Surgeon Stone. Is not allowed to fight with an upper-class man. 
If he has a grievance and he wants to fight or they want to make him 
fight, he has to refer it It is referred to the class of the man with 
whom the trouble is, and the class president selects a man to fight the 
plebe. But if it is between any or the other classes, after a man has 
ceased to be a plebe, then the fight can be between the individuals 
who have the difficulty, except that they will not allow a manifest 
difference in physical power between the two men. If, for instance, 
a small man in one class and a big man in the other class want to have 
a fight, they do not allow that to come off. They select some man 
that will make it an even thing. 

Mr. Dawson. Is not this question of arriving at the physical 
strength determined almost entirely by the weight of the combatants, 
as you understand it ? 

Surgeon Stone. I do not know how they determine it. They 
determine it amongst themselves. I suppose it would be partly their 
reputation as a fighter, their size and weight, and everything of that 
kind. 

The Chairman. And the usual result is, I suppose. Doctor, that the 
plebe gets licked ? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes; he generally gets licked. 

The Chairman. If not the first time, then the next time? 

Surgeon Stone. It is not considered according to ethics to allow 
a plebe to wffiip an upper-class man. 

The Chairman. It is not considered good form? 

Surgeon Stone. No. That is as I understand it. 

Mr. Gregg. So that he might just as well take his licking in the 
first instance? 

Surgeon Stone. Then, as I w^as just saying, when they become 
third class men, after the June when the order is read out rating them 
up as third class men, then if the plebe still feels that he is aggrieved 
he can pick out the man. He can have his personal encounter with 
the man who offended him; and I believe one such fight occurred last 
June. At least there was a fight, and I understood that it was, in a 
general way, one of those affairs. I was not told that by either of the 
principals. In all of this matter my information is purely the infor¬ 
mation of gossip. 

The Chairman. The committee has information that in the school 
year preceding the present school year a very large number of class 
fights took place. Your recollection is that not a large number of 
cases came to the hospital, where you judged that they had been 
engaged in fights ? ^ 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; my recollection is about ten or tw^elve. 

The Chairman. During the year? 

Surgeon Stone. During the time I have been here, and that would 
include the Branch-Meriwether affair. 

The Chairman. But they would not come to the hospital unless 
they were injured to a sufficient extent so that they needed treat¬ 
ment? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Does that include what he saw alone, or both what he 
saw and the other surgeon in charge saw? 



54 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Surgeon Stone. I would know the cases that were in the hospital. 
I would be cognizant of them whether I admitted them or the other 
doctor did. 

Mr. Loud. Do you make a record of them, as they come to you, on 
the book? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir; the officer who holds the sick call makes 
the record. 

The Chairman. I was asking these questions on the assumption 
that you were familiar with the cases that came in. 

Surgeon Stone. I am familiar with all the cases that come in the 
hospital. 

The Chairman. I suppose that each one keeps himself familiar 
with the records. 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that your answers cover all the cases that came 
in, so far as the medical department knew? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; I hold the evening sick call every other 
night or every third night, and then of course we talk over the cases 
amongst ourselves, so that I would know whether there were cases of 
fighting whether I admitted them or the other doctor admitted them. 

The Chairman. Doctor, the general information which comes to a 
man who has been living here two years and a half must be fairly accu¬ 
rate. As a general rule, do they receive much injury in these class 
fights ? 

Surgeon Stone. I should say not; no, sir. I imagine that the num¬ 
bers that I have seen are a very small proportion of the fights that 
have occurred, and none of them were anything serious. The major¬ 
ity of them were contusions of the face—perhaps an eye closed up for 
a day or two or the lip being cut by the teeth. There were quite a 
number of cases of that kind, where there had to be some stitches 
taken in sewing up the lip. But of course it was all right in a day or 
two. I have Imown of no case of injury except the Branch case; that 
is, I mean by injury, injury that would leave any permanent result. 

The Chairman. That is during a period of twenty-two months? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

^ The Chairman. That is the only fight that has come to the hos¬ 
pital where the injury was serious? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Padgett, if there is anything you would like to 
ask the Doctor you may proceed. 

Mr. Padgett. I do not care to ask anything now. 

The Chairman. Mr. Gregg, you may ask your questions. 

Mr. Gregg. Doctor, let me see if I got a correct inference from 
your evidence. The inquiries made by you when a midshipman 
comes to you at the hospital as to the cause of the injury are made and 
the record is kept with a view of fixing his pensionable status, and not 
with a view to aiding in discipline. Is that correct? 

Surgeon Stone. Not quite, sir. It is not kept with a view to the 
pension, because none of these midshipmen are pensionable, what¬ 
ever their injury may be. 

Mr. Gregg. Are they not pensionable for an injury received by 
them here in line of service? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. They have no benefit of pension until 
they become commissioned. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


55 


Mr. Gregg. I thought you said something about a pension? 

Surgeon Stone. I said that in the service generally the general 
regulations of the Navy require a report to the commanding officer— 
an immediate report to the commanding officer—as to any injury that 
might result in the person receiving it receiving a pension. But these 
records are kept as part of our Bureau. The records are a part of 
the medical history of the case. Abstracts made from these are sent 
in quarterly, and if from professional or other reasons you want to look 
up the medical history of a man you turn to these books to find the 
history. It is more for that purpose. 

Mr. Gregg. You said you remembered, I believe, since you had 
been in the service, ten cases? 

^ Surgeon Stone. Ten or twelve. I do not know the exact number. 

^ Mr. Gregg. Ten or twelve cases reported to the hospital where the 
injuries showed that they originated in a fight? 

Surgeon Stone. As severe enough to require admission to the 
hospital. 

Mr. Gregg. Does your record show in each case that the injury 
was due to a fight ? 

Surgeon Stone. I think so , sir—if we were able to determine it. 

Mr. Gregg. Those ten or twelve that you speak of the records 
show? 

Surgeon Stone. Those that I remember and consider as having been 
the result of fighting are shown by the record, so far as I know. 

Mr. Gregg. That is all, I believe, Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman. While I think of it. Doctor, will you be kind enough 
to make us a list of the dates—we do not care for the names—but a 
list of the dates and the entries in your book concerning every case 
that is marked ‘‘fight” during the present school year—up to date— 
and the preceding school year? 

Surgeon Stone. I will do as well as I can, sir; but I do not know. 

The Chairman. The records, you say, have gone to the Navy 
Department ? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes. 

The Chairman. And how far back do the records go that you have 
on hand? 

Surgeon Stone. It is possible that I may be able to find it from 
some other papers. 

Mr. Dawson. Could we not have that record returned? 

The Chairman. Yes. We would like to have you make out that 
sort of a list. Doctor, for the present school year and the preceding 
school year, giving all the cases and the dates, and the entries concern¬ 
ing the fights, without the names. If you find that one of your jour¬ 
nals has gone to the Department so that you can not get it, if you will 
let us know, so that we can identify it, we will ask to have it returned. 

Mr. Gregg. Ought not the record to show what class the midship¬ 
men belonged to? 

The Chairman. That is a part of the record, in giving his name, I 
suppose. 

Surgeon Stone. I would like to make a request of the committee. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Surgeon Stone. If you have no objection. 

The Chairman. State it. Doctor. 

Surgeon Stone. This information which you ask me to give, of 
course, is not anything personal to me ? 


56 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. No. 

Surgeon Stone. The records, if they are there at all, are in the sick 
quarters, and are available to all the other medical officers. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Surgeon Stone. And if it would be agreeable to the committee to 
excuse me from making that list and ask for that list from some other 
officer, I will be very much obliged, for this reason. I am in a rather 
peculiar position. I was detached yesterday and have got to leave 
Tuesday morning, and I have a household to pack up, and it is almost 
impossible for me to get through by Tuesday morning. Anyway, as 
this list for which you ask is not a personal list, it could be gotten from 
Doctor Byrnes or Doctor McCormick. 

The Chairman. Just as well. Doctor. 

Surgeon Stone. If you will kindly excuse me, and will call on them 
to make it, I will be very much obliged. 

The Chairman. We requested you to do it because you knew what 
we wanted. Will it be necessary for us to call upon the senior medical 
officer to make the request, or can you see him for us ? 

Surgeon Stone. I can transmit your request to him. 

The Chairman. Will you say to him that the committee would 
like this information sent in; and any book that you need, if you will 
let us know, we will have brought down from the Department. 

Surgeon Stone. I did not know but that you might have him 
before you. 

The Chairman. We may have, but we would like this informa¬ 
tion, so that it can be collecting. 

Surgeon Stone. I will explain it to him. 

The Chairman. All right. That will not come up until next week. 
He can take his time about it. Mr. Loud, did you have some ques¬ 
tions you wanted to ask the Doctor? 

Mr. Loud. What I want to ask is if there is in that record any evi¬ 
dence of a fight being recorded- 

Surgeon Stone. Other than that I have read? 

Mr. Loud. Otherwise than the Branch-Meriwether fight. 

Surgeon Stone. I could not say positively. You see, we see a 
great many men, and sometimes I do not remember their names. I 
remember one, the worst case I have seen—that is, the most injured 
of anyone that I have seen—and that was the case of a young man 
named Hoover, of last year’s entering class. He was simply very 
badly contused about the face, but the thing all cleared up in three 
or four days. 

Mr. Loud. How long ago was that? 

Surgeon Stone. Some time during the last scholastic year, but I 
do not find his name entered here in this journal. It must be in one 
of the back journals. That is the only case I remember by name. 

The Chairman. Mr. Dawson, have you any questions you would 
like to ask the Doctor? 

Mr. Dawson. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Doctor, could you make any suggestion with refer¬ 
ence to the keeping of the records in the hospital, so as to locate and 
ascertain the occurrence of fights, by any methods better than now 
exist ? 

Surgeon Stone. I think the records are as complete as need be. 
If it was desirable to emphasize the report being made, the regula- 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 57 

tion which directed that a report of all injuries be made to the super¬ 
intendent, I should think, would cover it. 

Mr. Padgett. That is, you would just report all injuries received 
to the superintendent, and he will then institute an investigation to 
ascertain the cause or origin 1 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir; of course, it would be reported that the 
information was gotten there at sick quarters. 

Mr. Padgett. I believe that is all. 

The Chairman. That is all. Doctor. We are very much obliged 
to you for coming up and answering all our questions so frankly and 
so fully. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN CHURCHILL HUMPHREY, U. S. 

NAVY. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, this is an investigation by the 
Naval Committee of the House of Representatives. The cadets and 
officers in this institution are appearing before the committee by order 
of the President and the Secretary of the Navy, transmitted through 
the superintendent of the academy. In addition to that we desire to 
have each cadet take the oath. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Midshipman Churchill Humphrey, being first duly sworn, testi¬ 
fied as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Churchill Humphrey, sir. 

The Chairman. From what State were you appointed? 

Midshipman Humphrey. From Kentucky, sir. 

The Chairman. You are the president of the second class? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is the class which will become the senior class 
at the end of the school year? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It is the senior class now, sir. It will 
become the first class at the end of the year. 

The Chairman. But until the commencement of the next year 
they are called the second class? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is the term ‘^senior” used here, also, as it is in 
colleges ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; sometimes in a class like this the 
senior class is spoken of, but the term is mostly used officially with 
the second class. 

Mr. Padgett. It is used to designate the class during this hiatus? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is your age, Mr. Humphrey? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Twenty, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you ever heard of a practice which exists, 
or which is said to exist, in this and other schools, called hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are the members of any class hazed, as the term 
is, except the members of the fourth class? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It is directed entirely against the one class? 


58 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; and not against all members 
of the fourth class. Those who had previously been members of the 
third class and who have been dropped or turned back are not hazed, 
although they are members of the fourth class. 

The Chairman. Yes. For example, the late examinations have 
shown that quite a number will drop back or fail to go forward with 
their class, but they will now be exempt from hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. A year is all they are supposed to take of it ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And each of the classes above the fourth class has 
a right to haze the fourth class, under the theories which prevail in 
your system? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir—that is, to a certain extent, sir. 
The senior class always has taken it in hand as to just exactly how 
much shall be done and how much shall not be done. 

The Chairman. As they go on from the fourth to the third class, 
from the third to the second class, and from the second to the first 
class, their privileges along this line increase—that is, the first class 
would have rights in relation to hazing the fourth class which the 
third and second classes would not have—or does that apply only to 
rating ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. That applies only to rating, sir. In 
regard to hazing, a senior class man—that is, a man in a class senior to 
the class which contains the man who is hazing—has a right to break 
it up. 

Mr. Padgett. Will you please read that, Mr. Keporter? 

The reporter read the last answer. 

The Chairman. I understand by that that if a third class man is 
hazing a fourth class man, a member of the senior class, or the first 
class, would have a right to stop it and break it up—^forbid it. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. For instance, if a third class 
man would be hazing, a second class man would have a right to forbid 
it, or a first class man would have a right to forbid it. 

The Chairman. Anyone in a senior class? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Anyone in a class above could do that. 

The Chairman. Or they would have a right to turn in and assist, 
I simpose? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, the boys here and elsewhere in 
schools seem to have invented a vernacular of so-called terms for 
these hazing practices. I wish you would give us all the terms you 
can think of that are used in hazing—all the exercises and forms of 
hazing, both physical and otherwise. I want to see if you are as 
advanced as they are at West Point, or were, when they had it in 
practice there. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Most of these terms I will have to give 
on hearsay. The sixteenth exercise consists of an exercise which 
used to be No. 16 in the old drill regulation book. It consists of a 
man undergoing the exercise of placing both heels together, with his 
hands on his hips, and then stooping down and straightening again. 

The Chairman. I think we are fairly familiar with the method of 
doing it in most of these cases. If we are not, we will ask you as to 
the particular one. We understand what the sixteenth is. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


59 


Midshipman Humphrey. Then there is an exercise known as going 
on the head. There is one known as- 

Mr. Padgett. I would like you to explain about going on the head. 

Midshipman Humphrey. That consists of a fourth class man put¬ 
ting his hands and his forehead on the deck and raising his feet. He 
will be in a position then with his hands and forehead and both feet 
on the deck. Then he will raise his feet 6 or 8 inches off the deck 
and allow them to strike again, and continue that exercise rapidly. 

Mr. Padgett. Does he raise both feet, or one 

Midshipman Humphrey. Both feet, about 6 inches. 

Mr. Gregg. And strike them together 

Midshipman Humphrey. No; he just kicks up. 

The Chairman. We used to call it standing on the head. Will 
you tell us how they perform this exercise under the table? How 
can they raise their feet up, in order to stand on the head? Or do 
they not try to raise up entirely? 

Midshipman Humphrey. A man could get under the table, and 
after he raised his feet up he would occupy really no more space than 
he did in the first place. 

The Chairman. Except that he could not straighten up. 

Midshipman Humphrey. He never would straighten up. 

The Chairman. No matter whether he was out in the room or not? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; they never raise the feet more 
than 6 or 8 inches. 

The Chairman. They do it rapidly, do they? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How severe a physical test is it, say, upon a fourth 
class man, to have him go on his head 100 times? What I mean is, 
would going on the head 100 times be exhausting to the ordinary boy 
in the fourth class? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I think that number of times would not 
produce any strain. It would be quite exhausting and quite uncom¬ 
fortable. I should think that you could not so much judge by the 
number of times as by the length of time. Well, I tried it the other 
night myself, as an experiment. A man can do that exercise 120 
times in a minute. 

The Chairman. In a minute? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; and that is just about all he 
would want. 

The Chairman. You think that he has had all the exercise he needs 
for that day? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; that is enough. 

The Chairman. Do indiscreet boys sometimes require them to 
go on their heads 200, 300, or a larger number of times? 

Midshipman Humphrey. There are cases where they do, yes, sir; 
or where they have done it. 

The Chairman. You think that, perhaps, is injurious; that is, 
unduly exhausting to the boy who does it, from your own test that 
you made yourself? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; not from what I have seen— 
not from a little of it; that is, a minute—but I should think that 
over a minute, say a minute and a half, would be unduly exhausting. 

The Chairman. To keep up for a minute and a half? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; I think if it continued as much 
as a minute, to my mind it would be quite long enough to do it. 



60 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chaikman. I suppose the boys who come in the fourth class 
are not as hardened and not in as good physical condition as they 
are in after they have been here for a year, as a rule? 

Midshipman Humphkey. As a rule they are younger, of course, 
and that has a good deal to do with it. 

The Chairman. And they have not, as a rule, had the regular 
physical athletic exercise which would harden them ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; but I do not think really there 
is very much difference, except in the age, and in the right manner of 
living, too. I think that the first class men here compare a great 
deal more favorably to the senior classes of colleges, from the regular 
routine here and the absence from dissipation; but I think it is mostly 
on account of the age of the fourth class men that they are not the 
physical equals of the first class men. 

The Chairman. I understood you to say that you tried the exer¬ 
cise of going on your head 120 times? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And at the end of that period you were pretty 
tired ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You would not have liked to continue it up to the 
200 mark? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Nor the 300 mark? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It would have been most uncomfortable. 
I do not think it would have produced any permanent physical 
strain, but it would have been certainly most uncomfortable. 

The Chairman. Do you remember the number of times young 
Kimbrough went on his head, when it is alleged that he was exhausted 
to the point of losing consciousness? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not know the number of 
times he went on his head, but I remember the man that told him to 
go on his head told me that he had had him continue that exercise for 
seven minutes. I think he must have been exaggerating, because I 
do not think any one would have been physically capable of doing 
it seven minutes. 

The Chairman. You were giving us the list of terms used in haz¬ 
ing. You have given us the sixteenth and the going on the head, 
I think, was the second one? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; then there is one known as 
the crew. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not know whether that is spelled 
crew or creux. Then there is another one known as the double 
hypotenuse. There is another which I never have seen- 

The Chairman. You might explain the double hypotenuse. 

Midshipman Humphrey. That consists of placing both hands on 
a table and both feet on the window sill or some convenient object 
of the same height, and then bringing the body down until the stom¬ 
ach touches the floor. 

The Chairman. Rather a severe exercise, is it not? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It is a very severe exercise. 

My Dawson. And then raising up again? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


61 


,^The Chairman. How many times is it possible to do this, for a 
strong boy ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I never have tried it, but I should think 
you would not be able to do it more than three or four times at most. 

The Chairman. How many times can a strong boy do the crew 
without too much exhaustion? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think I could form an estimate 
of that, sir. No, I could not. 

The Chairman. You can give us such other forms of exercise as 
occur to you. 

Midshipman Humphrey. There is one known as the rabbit dance. 

The Chairman. Yes; the committee has experimented with that. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Then there is one known as the admiral's 
salute, which I have heard of, but have never seen. 

The Chairman. Do you remember how it is done? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not. 

The Chairman. Is there not one where they pull themselves up 
on the locker? 

Midshipman Humphrey. That is hanging on the locker. 

Mr. Padgett. Could you give us any idea of the admiral's salute? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not think I could. 

The Chairman. Can you think of any others? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Hanging on the locker. Those are all 
the physical exercises- 

Mr. Padgett. And sitting on infinity? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Sitting on infinity. You practice that? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I have seen that. 

The Chairman. The leaning rest. Did you mention that? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I don't believe I ever saw that; I don't 
remember it. 

The Chairman. That is extending yourself on your hands and 
toes along the floor and raising up and down. You have seen it, I 
suppose ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I have seen the exercise in the gym¬ 
nasium, in the setting-up drill, but I never heard of it being practiced 
in hazing. 

The Chairman. That has been practiced here somewhat, I judge, 
by the evidence before the investigating committee. Do you have 
what is called bracing here? Is not that used as hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. That is not used as hazing, because no 
one but a cadet officer or a cadet petty officer is allowed to brace 
anybody—but then he may brace everybody. 

Mr. Dawson. At any time? 

Midshipman Humphrey. At any time; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The idea is to give them a military carriage? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. He does not confine it to 
fourth class men, but to third class men, and his own class, if he 
sees fit. 

The Chairman. Have you had eagling in vogue here? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Where his arms are extended and waved as an 
eagle would its wings. Wooden-willying. Do they practice that? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 



62 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Doing footballs? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I never heard of it. 

The Chairman. Dipping? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I never heard of it. 

The Chairman. Taking plebe's rest? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I never heard of that, sir. 

The Chairman. You have neglected the plebes here to some 
extent. Stretching? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Holding out gun? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Sitting on bayonet? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Holding out Indian clubs, dumb-bells, or cleaning 
box? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Sweating? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you ever require them to take anything into 
their mouths and swallow it—like tabasco sauce—that you have 
heard of ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Ever feed them quinine? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Feet inspection in quarters? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Is dragging them out of bed ever practiced? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Standing on the head in a tub full of water? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Pillow fights? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. May I ask one question? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Dawson. Are there two methods of doing the sixteenth—one 
with the hands akimbo, and one with weights in the hands, or 
dictionaries ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes; I have heard of that being done 
with a dictionary or some other weight or object held at arm’s length. 

Mr. Loud. Do they give it a number—sixteenth or seventeenth! 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. I have so seen it in the record of the examinations. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. I have seen very little of it 
and do not know. 

The Chairman. Tell us about the rating practices. Does any 
other class except the first class require rating, or is any other class 
entitled to rating? What is rating? Is it a noun, or is it to be used 
as a noun, an adverb, a verb, and all of the rest of it? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It is used as a verb and noun, I think, 
and an adjective—ratey—which is synonymous with impudence. 

The Chairman. Then a boy who is ratey is one who is a little 
impudent and presumptuous, from the standpoint of the higher 
class men? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


68 


The Chairman. And who needs a little toning up? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Toning down? 

The Chairman. Or toning down. Then rating is a noun, which 
would be the name of such practice? 

Midshipnian Humphrey. I don’t think I ever heard it applied in 
that way, sir. I have heard the rates spoken of—that a man rates. 

The Chairman. Yes; rating. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Rating is an official term, but it is not 
used in that connection, sir. 

The Chairman. Then rates w^ould be the noun, which is the name 
of these practices ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. That is synonymous with privileges? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And rating would be a participle meaning the 
application of the rates, or the carrying out of the rates, I suppose? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Can you recall the rates that are in vogue here? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. The first class has the privi¬ 
lege of making such rates as they choose. The theory of rates, as I 
have always understood it, is for the convenience of the greatest 
number—that is, more especially for the senior class men. The 
theory is, that as a man rises in the classes he shall have more privi¬ 
leges. For convenience, I might cite one or two rates: One is that 
at the midshipmen’s store, when the different classes are drawing 
small stores, the senior class men always have the privilege of going 
to the head of the line of the classes under him—that is, the first 
class man will take precedence over the second, third, and fourth 
class men; the second class men over third and fourth class men; and 
the third class men over the fourth class men. Then there are also 
rates on the small boats around here. The first class may use any 
boat. The second class can not use some of the half-raters; the 
third class can use none of the half-raters; and the fourth class can 
use only the sailing cutters. 

The Chairman. Let me interrupt you there to ask if that has the 
official sanction of the authorities, or is that enforced by the boys, 
themselves, onlv ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. That is enforced, I believe, only by the 
midshipmen, sir. 

The Chairman. The boys in using the boats;—are they under the 
care or authority of a naval officer; one of the disciplinary force ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. They have to ask permission to use the 
boats, and they just go out in sailing parties of three and four. When 
they take the boats out in that way one man has to take charge, and 
he is responsible for the boat and the equipment. 

The Chairman. That is, one of the cadet officers? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; anyone. 

The Chairman. How would it be determined who was in charge? 

Midshipman Humphrey. They determine it among themselves. 
The authorities simply have to have someone to hold responsible if 
any of the regulations are broken while sailing. For instance, if 
they- 

Mr. Padgett. He means that he is made the special officer for the 
occasion. 



64 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Humphrey. For instance, if they are going out sailing 
and they should land on prohibited or forbidden ground, the man who 
has taken charge is held responsible for the landing; or if any of the 
equipment of the boat is damaged he is held responsible. 

The Chairman. Then no naval officer connected with the academy 
might be present ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Therefore, you do not know how a naval officer of 
the disciplinary force would view the question of rates, in that respect? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I know the officers in charge, who come 
on very frequently, know that there are certain boats that each class 
takes, and if a second class man comes in and asks for a half-rater, 
I think he would be very often told that his class boats had been 
already given out, and he would have to take the catboat. 

The Chairman. He would ask for a half-rater, would he? 

Midshipman Humphrey. A half-rater. 

The Chairman. What would a first class man ask for? 

Midshipman Humphrey. A first class man would—it just depends 
upon which boat he wants. The half-raters are supposed to be the 
easiest sailing boats. 

The Chairman. The most desirable boats? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; the most desirable boats. 

The Chairman. And then is there a lower order of raters ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. There are four half-raters here, and the 
second class may use two and they are numbers three and four—I am 
not sure of that; I have them all written down. The second class can 
use three and four and the first class can use one, two, three, and four. 
The boat that is next desirable is the catboat; and after that the sail¬ 
ing launch; and after that the sailing cutter. 

The Chairman. The fourth class man is not privileged to take any 
boat that is there when he comes down ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The sailing cutter, sir. 

The Chairman. They are not privileged to take any boats that are 
there, are they ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; the sailing cutter. They are 
privileged to take out the sailing cutter. 

The Chairman. But if first class men and fourth class men should 
all come together the first clas3 men would have their first choice as to 
how they would go out. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What other rates prevail here, Mr. Humphrey? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, there are certain walks that are 
detailed to the classes, and there are some benches that are on either 
side of the walk that used to lead from old man quarters. One is a 
first class bench and the other is a second class bench. The first class 
man, you understand, is previleged to u-e anything that belongs to 
he second or third class men. 

The Chairman. The first class man has the privilege of using any¬ 
thing that belongs to the second or third class men ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; or the fourth class men. 

The Chairman. How far does that extend? He has not a right to 
use his uniform, has he? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Oh, no, sir; I just meant about the walks 
and benches and boats. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


65 


Mr. Padgett. Around the grounds. 

The Chairman. He would not have a right to use his jack knife 
without his consent? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. But it is simply around the grounds? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Simply the rates around the grounds. 

The Chairman. In general, then, wherever there is, in the grounds, 
a choice in any line, the first class man is entitled to it as against the 
fourth class man or any lower class man ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is the principle of rates 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It pertains to the sidewalks as well, somewhere? 

Midshipman Humphrey. There used to be a number of rates that 
were against the regulations. That is, a second class man was privi¬ 
leged to break a regulation and not be reported by the cadet officer, 
but they have been done away with sometime since I have been here. 

The Chairman. Are there any other rates that occur to you, gen¬ 
eral rates, existing here ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; that only first and second class 
men can leave by the side doors of the Bancroft Hall, going to forma¬ 
tion. That is a new rate. There was such a congestion of traffic at 
the time of formation that it was found to be impossible for all four 
classes to use it; so only the first and second classes were permitted by 
rate to use it. 

The Chairman. How was that rate promulgated? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The president of the senior class simply 
announced it to his class and to the presidents of the classes below him, 
and then just let it gradually spread. A fir&t classman, or any senior 
classman, who saw a junior class man—that is, a class man below 
him—breaking a rate, would always call his attention to the fact. 

The Chairman. There was a sort of system of capillary attraction, 
by which it permeated all through the student body? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, si \ 

The Chairman. There is no question about the members of the 
fourth class hearing about it in a day or two, I suppose ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. They probably would; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. If one that had not heard of it should start to leave 
by the side door I suppose some upper class man would call his atten¬ 
tion to it ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. He would—or if he was a third class man. 
In the system of rates there is not very much difference made between 
classes. A first class man would call a third man^s attention to a 
broken rate as quickly as he would a fourth man’s attention. In 
other words, that is not hazing at all. 

The Chairman. What is running, Mr. Humphrey? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, running, so far as - 

The Chairman. Before we get to running, Mr. Dawson has one or 
two questions about rating which he would like to bring out. 

Mr. Dawson. These rates, pretty generally, are voluntarily main¬ 
tained among the different class men, are they not ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. I have seen classmates call 
each other’s attention to it. 

. H. Doc. 690, 59—1- 5 



66 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Dawson. Is it your understanding that this rating extends 
to the practice of hazing; that is, in the matter of hazing, that the 
first class men can haze fourth class men in certain particulars, but the 
second class men can not ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. For instance, to be specific, is it the understanding 
that only a first class man can send a fourth class man under the 
table ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Oh, no, sir—wait a minute; yes, there, 
was one rate about that, sir. At some of the mess tables there was 
an occasional publication ordered to be produced by the fourth 
class- 

Mr. Dawson. A bazoo? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Called a bazoo. That was a first class 
rate. 

Mr. Dawson. Just one more question. Are these rates made up 
by a rate committee in each class or in any particular class ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Why, by the first class, either by a rate 
committee or the president of the first class, who simply announces 
them as rates. 

Mr. Dawson. Does the president or the rate committee of the first 
class establish the rates for all the lower classes ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. That is all, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Gregg. There is one question I should like to ask, that is, 
as to the denying to the fourth class men the right to look at upper 
class men. What does that come under, rating ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I would call that hazing. 

Mr. Gregg. You call that hazing, do you? 

. Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Or running? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I can not very well differentiate between 
hazing and running, and I have never tried to. The whole thing 
seems to me to be splitting hairs. 

The Chairman. Then that brings me back to the question I asked 
you as to what running is. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, running may be used in another 
term. In one term it is synonymous with hazing, and in another 
term it is synonymous with teasing. You can run your own class¬ 
mates by making them appear ridiculous, or turning a joke on them. 
That is running a man; or you may hear it spoken of as running an 
officer, or trying to make an officer appear, ah times, a little ridicu¬ 
lous. But there is one term as to which there would be no way for 
me to try to differentiate between running and hazing, and that is 
the practice of forbidding fourth class men to look at upper class men. 
That is called running, but I would call that hazing. 

The Chairman. The difference between them seems to be that haz¬ 
ing is carried out only against lower class men—fourth class men ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; the term hazing, sir, is just 
about obsolete here. I have very rarely heard it spoken of as hazing. 
It is simply spoken of as running. 

The Chairman. You do not think that since the law has com¬ 
menced to use the term hazing that the boys are commencing to use 
other terms, do you? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


67 


Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not. I think the term run¬ 
ning was brought in just as I said, in making a man appear ridiculous. 
That is to run him. 

The Chairman. That is, he might be your own classmate? 

Midshipman Humphrey. He might be my own classmate or any¬ 
body. The etymology of the word, I presume, would be that when 
they made a plebe appear ridiculous, first they spoke of hazing him, 
and gradually it drifted to the fact that they were running him. So 
it came about that the saying originated that you were running him 
to death, or something of that kind. 

The Chairman. It might be hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It might be hazing or it might not be 
hazing. 

The Chairman. But running would be applied to your own class¬ 
mate, whereas hazing would never be use used in that connection? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Oh, no, sir. 

The Chairman. Does running refer to physical running or is it con¬ 
fined to other classes of running ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It is confined to other classes. 

The Chairman. It does not mean physical exercise? 

Midsliipman Humphrey. No, sir; it simply means making a man 
appear ridiculous. 

The Chairman. That would be another wide distinction between 
that and hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Fagging. I am merely getting these terms out- 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask a question about running. 

The Chairman. We will take all these things up for further 
inquiry. Put your question. 

Mr. Padgett. Running also carries with it the idea of anything 
you might do to humiliate a man ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. All of those things, ridicule, humiliation, teasing, 
or making ridiculous, come under the general term of running ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. In that connection, running to the extent of humilia¬ 
tion is only practiced on the fourth class. Is that correct? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It may be practiced on any of them; on his class¬ 
mates. 

Mr. Gregg. I said to the extent of humiliation ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; not at all. No one that I have 
ever seen, except in some cases where it has been directly taken up 
by the first class, have ever tried to humiliate a fourth class man. 
They all have tried to ridicule them, to do something that there 
would be a laugh at, or to take a little of the conceit out of him; but 
to humiliate a man, I take it, would mean to do something to him, or 
force him to do something, that would lessen his self-respect. I 
never have seen any authorized hazing—that is, hazing that is author¬ 
ized by the first class—done that would lessen a man’s self-respect. 

Mr. Padgett. Let me ask a question or two right there, to be spe¬ 
cific. Do you think it does or does not lessen a man’s self-respect to 
require him, a fourth class man, to come every morning at a certain 
hour and raise the curtain and wind the clock of an upper class man ? 



68 


HAZING AT THE NAVALi ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Humphrey. I think it does not lessen his self-respect, 
because I did it myself when I was a fourth class man. 

Mr. Dawson. That is fagging, is it not, instead of running? 

Mr. Padgett. Does that come under the term fagging? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The term fagging I never have come 
across except in reading books, in which the scene was laid at Eng¬ 
lish schools. I think the only time I came across it was in reading 
Tom Brown at Rugby. The term is used there. 

Mr. Padgett. Requiring a fourth class man to get down on his 
knees and black his own shoes—would you think that was humiliat- 
ing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. For a man to black his own shoes? 

Mr. Padgett. To compel him to. 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not. He is compelled by 
the regulations to do that, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. No; for the purpose of showing authority over him. 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not think any man could 
be. I do not think compelling a man to keep his personal appeai'- 
ance neat would necessarily lessen his self-respect. Of course, I 
would feel humiliated, myself, if anyone should call attention to the 
fact that my dress was not correct or that my table manners were 
not correct; but I do not think it would lessen my self-respect. 

Mr. Padgett. There is another phase of it, and that is for a first 
class man to require a fourth class man to bring his meals to him for 
a couple of weeks or ten days, or all the time—whenever he might 
give the order. Would that be running and would that be humili¬ 
ating ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, sir, that is a practice as to which 
I will frankly agree with you that I do not think it is right. Of 
course, all of these things are referred to me as president of the senior 
class. There is no hazing any more, but when they were referred to 
me as president of my own class, I never would insist on anyone doing 
menial service that he did not want to do. I think I did insist on 
a man last year taking an orange to an upper class man’s room; but 
I have always regretted the fact that I did that. I do not think it 
is right. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, Mr. Dawson would like to ask 
you two or thi’ee questions about the terms used under running.” 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. As I get it from reading the testimony, running 
would be applied either in the sense in which you have explained it, 
or in an exaggerated form in which it can be turned into hazing— 
into a species of hazing ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Can you tell this committee all the common forms 
of running in the academy ? Maybe I had better ask you if you can 
tell me if there are any in addition to the kinds I have set down 
here, taken from the testimony, and if these are properly classified 
as running ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Making fourth class men tell stories ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. In some cases smutty stories ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


69 


Midsliipman Humpheey. I would call that sometimes hazing and 
sometimes running. 

Mr. Dawson. Making them sing songs? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I would like to say, sir, that a fourth 
class man does not have to tell a smutty story unless he pleases to. 
He can decide that matter for himself, and he is under no obligation 
at all to tell smutty stories. 

My Dawson. He is not pressed to do that? 

Midshipman Humphrey. He is not pressed to do that. 

Mr. Dawson. Putting them under the table. Would that be a spe¬ 
cies of running which is denominated hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Hazing? Well, you could call it run- 
ning, but running, you might say, is a very comprehensive term. 
It takes in everything. Hazing is only one branch of running. 

Mr. Dawson. Running as practiced by the upper class men on the 
fourth class men may develop into simply a species of showing their 
authority over the fourth class men ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. For instance, compelling them to get onto the 
locker and sing and dance? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Or imitate a cat fight? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Those would be species of running which, in fact, 
would be species of hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think of any other species of running prac¬ 
ticed here, either of the kind which the cadets consider for the benefit 
of the lower class men or which are considered as species of hazing ? 
Can you enumerate any other kinds ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. There is always a tendency to correct 
a fourth class man’s table manners, if they do not happen to be just 
exactly what a man’s table manners should be, to accord with the 
dignity of an officer in the navy. Whether that is running, or haz¬ 
ing, or kindness I do not know. It is a question. 

Mr. Dawson. You do not attempt to classify it? 

Midshipman Humphrey. But it is nearly always done by ridicule, 
by telling him he had better throw out a life line to the spoon in his 
coffee cup, that it is being drowned; something like that. The 
ridicule is always intended to have a sting in it, and always does. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know whether it has been the practice to 
any considerable extent in the mess room to require fourth class men 
to sit on the edges of the chairs while they are eating? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; that is to make them hold 
themselves properly—to induce military carriage. 

Mr. Dawson. Does that have the sanction of the naval officers in 
the academy? 

Midshipman Humphrey. About that I can not say, because I 
know the naval officers in the room want to see the fourth class men 
and every class man carry themselves in a military manner; but I do 
not think they would approve of it being done unofficially. 

Mr. Dawson. That is not in the regulations, then, to require 
fourth class men to sit on the edge of their chairs ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Oh, no; but the authorities here would 


70 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


like to see the cadet officers make everybody carry themselves in a 
correct manner. 

Mr, Dawson. That is all, Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman. Do you say, Mr. Humphrey, that the term fag¬ 
ging is not used here between, if I may so term it, or among, the 
classes ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I never have heard of it. 

The Chairman. But the practices that in England are called ^Mag¬ 
ging” prevail here generally? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Some of them; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It is a common thing here to have the first class 
call upon the members ^of the fourth class to perform duties that in 
the English schools are called fagging; that is, waiting upon them, 
running errands for them, performing little duties about their rooms, 
etc. ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; performing certain duties about 
their rooms. For instance, a fourth class man would never be made 
to bring water to an upper class man, or to sweep out his room. I 
know there have been upper class men who have told fourth class 
men to do it, but if the fourth class man had refused point blank to do 
it he would have been upheld by the senior class. 

The Chairman. In the testimony of some of the cadets I find, for 
example, that fourth class men wait upon first class men in their 
rooms and gather together the soiled linen and put it away, and 
when it comes back they take it out and arrange it in its proper 
place in the lockers. You do not call that fagging? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The senior class would not allow any¬ 
thing like that to be done, sir, I do not think. 

The Chairman. You think that has not the sanction of the senior 
class ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I think it has not. 

The Chairman. That is not an action which would receive the 
approval of the others? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think it would, sir. I will have 
to. say that I did come across a case where a fourth class man did 
stow a locker of my classmate, and I did not interfere; but there 
are other cases where fourth class men have come to me and asked 
whether they were supposed to do this, and I would always tell 
them that they were not, that they might refuse to do it. If they 
did not choose to refuse, I did not trouble myself about it. 

The Chairman. I think in the Decatur case, the fourth class 
men had brought up meals to him for a considerable period. Your 
understanding is that would be entirely voluntary on the part of 
the fourth class men, and that Mr. Decatur would not be sustained 
by his class in requiring it to be done; or is that another species 
which is permitted ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The bringing up of meals—I can not say. 
I do not know just how that would be received. The question never 
has come up except in the one instance which I have cited during last 
year, when a fourth class man refused to bring an orange over to an 
upper class man’s room, and I asked him to do it. I said he should do 
it. I asked him to bring it over that once so as to save trouble: and 
then I asked the upper class man not to request any such favor again. 
So I can not exactly say what it would be about that. I have always 
regretted the action I took at that time. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


71 


The Chairman. Do any except the first class have this right to 
require service, or did you say that only the first class has this r ght to 
require menial service of a lower class man? 


Midshipman Humphrey. There are only two things that might be 
termed menial service, and every class has that right. That is, 
waking a man up in the morning—and, as I say, I am not certain in my 
own mind about what is the right thing to do and what is not the 
right thing to do about bringing up meals. But the stowing of the. 
lockers, etc., is voluntary on the part of the fourth class man. I 
think he agrees with Walpole in letting sleeping dogs lie, and he goes 
ahead and does it. But if he would insist that he did not want to he 
would not be forced to do it. Those two things I am not certain 
about—waking a man up in the morning and bringing meals to him. 

The Chairman. Will you tell me what practices in the line of per¬ 
forming services for the upper classes did have the sanction of the 
upper class during the past year, which you did act upon officially 
and decide that it was the duty of the fourth class man to perform 
such services ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. That one thing, the bringing of food 
from the mess hall; and the reason I insisted on that was because my 
class was in no position to make these decisions. It is the duty of 
the first class, you understand, sir, to make these decisions, and the 
leading men in my class had not made up their minds to do away with 
all of these things when they became the senior class, and lots or them 
thought that if we attempted any such action as that it would be 
somewhat presumptuous. 

The Chairman. Then, bringing up food and waking up men in the 
morning were the two forms of service which the class officially 
pronounced to be proper on the part of the lower class men? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; and I am not sure but the mail¬ 
ing of letters, also. That was done. I never saw a man object to 
that, though. Mailing of letters, and—let me think, and see if I can 
think of anything else- 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, if the lower class men refused to 
perform these services which had been officially passed upon by the 
upper class men as being proper what form of enforcing discipline is 
resorted to by the upper class men? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, the fourth class man is either given 
the choice of doing this or fighting; and in fighting he must clearly 
understand that he will have to defeat every man in the upper class 
of his weight or under his weight or—^— 

The Chairman. That means a series of engagements, until he is 
licked ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. That was not merely confined 
to the fourth class, but if a third class man should break a rate and, 
after his attention had been called to it, would persist in breaking it, 
he would be forced to fight, too. But I think that the tradition reads 
that he shall not be forced to fight but once. Then, of course, the 
best man in the senior class will be picked out. I never have heard 
of a case where the under class man has not been defeated in the first 

battle. . 

Mr. Padgett. Except the Branch-Men wether aft air. 

Midshipman Humphrey. That was not a class fight. That was 
entirely a personal matter, and the combatants were not picked out.^ 




72 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


It very often happens that a lower class man will defeat an upper class 
man; but that was simply a personal matter. 

Mr. Padgett. Just at that point, while I think of it, Mr. Chairman, 
let me ask him a question, please. 

The Chairman. Certainly. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose that the lower class man, when challenged 
to fight, because he refuses to comply with one of these rate require¬ 
ments, should refuse and assign as his reason that it was a violation 
of the rules of the academy and the regulations. What would then 
be the effect ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Then he would be upheld by the upper 
class, if he gave it as his reason that it was a violation of the rules of 
the academy. In other words, a fourth class man can not be told to 
do anything that he would have to break a regulation to do. 

Mr. Padgett. Is it not a breaking of the regulations to fight, to 
have a class fight ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not know whether it is or not, sir. 
About that I should say as I did about the exception of taking food 
out of the mess hall and bringing the men^s meals over. I said I was 
not clear about that. 

Mr. Padgett. I mean for any cause. Is it not against the regula¬ 
tions to have class fights for any cause ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It is now, sir; but it is not mentioned in 
the regulation book. 

Mr. Padgett. Has it not been against the regulations or orders? 
You sometimes have orders posted on your bulletin boards? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Or given verbally? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Is it permissible, under the rules of the academy, to 
have a class fight for any purpose? In other words, to make it plain, 
would you have a class fight in the presence of your Superintendent ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I would not now, no, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Would you at any time? 

Midshipman Humphrey. At any time I would never have had it 
in his presence, sir; but I really would not have cared whether he 
knew about it or not. 

Mr. Gregg. Since when has that been the case ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Since the Branch-Meriwether case. 

Mr. Gregg. Up to the Branch-Meriwether fight you would not have 
minded the officials knowing that you were having a class fight ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; unless it was a class fight over 
hazing. Of course, if it came about over hazing you would have to 
investigate it. But, for instance, if my class, the second class, would 
challenge a third class man to fight, up to that time I would not really 
have cared who knew about that. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose the case I gave a moment ago, if the fourth 
class man should persistently refuse to comply with the requirement 
of the first class, and he was then challenged to fight and declined to 
fight, stating that he was not going to break the rules of the academy. 
He would not be required to fight in that case? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Oh, no, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Well, now, the question I want to get at is. Would he 
not be ostracized by the school—put in Coventry? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


73 


Midshipman Humphrey. I will cite what happened last year, that 
it may clear that matter up. There was a man who refused to keep 
a rate. What the rate was I do not believe I remember now; but he 
was in a class below mine. They were then fourth class men, and we 
were third class men. We gave—at least I did, because it was up to 
me; it was my duty to take the initiative—I gave him his choice of 
keeping this rate or fighting, and he said he would do neither. Then 
I asked him in plain terms whether he would light or not, and he said 
he would not fight. I told him I considered him a coward. His 
class heard about that and told him that if he did not fight they would 
ostracize him. 

Mr. Padgett. That is what I wanted to arrive at. 

Midshipman Humphrey. But not for- 

Mr. Padgett. It was for refusing to fight, was it not? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was for refusing to fight; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are you through, Mr. Padgett? 

Mr. Padgett. Yes; I believe so. 

Mr. Gregg. I do not want to interrupt, Mr. Chairman, but there is 
one thing that is on my mind and I would like to ask about it now. 
You stated that if he refused to fight and gave as his reason that it was 
a violation of the regulations that he would be upheld in it ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir, I did not. I was not quite sure 
of the question when I made that answer. I would like to make that 
clear. There has been no class fights since the Branch-Meriwether 
affair. If there had been I do not know exactly what would be done 
under those circumstances. 

Mr. Gregg. Up to the Branch-Meriwether fight, I understand, he 
could not make that excuse, because- 

Midshipman Humphrey. He could not make any excuse. 

Mr. Gregg. He could not make it, because there was no regulation 
against it, as you understood here, at that time ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think that that would have made 
any difference. 

Mr. Gregg. Up to that time? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think anything would have made 
any difference. 

Mr. Gregg. You did not take any excuse? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. There is one question I would like to ask. 

The Chairman. Very well. 

Mr. Dawson. It appears in the testimony that was taken before 
the board of investigation that some of the fourth class men have 
testified that if they did not consent to do this waiting on upper class 
men that they would be hazed. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes. 

Mr. Dawson. Is that in lieu of the fights? Is it true that if it were 
only a minor breach of this student code that existed, of calling on 
him to fight them, they would simply haze him a little—stand him on 
his head ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. The code used to be, I think— 
at least the idea was in trying to justify the code—that they simply 
held physical hazing, you understand, as a last resort. If a man 
broke a rate, and continued breaking the rate, he would be physically 
hazed. ast year when we were pledged not to physically haze him. 



74 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


if a man continued to break a rate there was not anything to do, and 
we simply had to have some final punishment, and that was a fight. 
But that was only resorted to as an extreme measure. It was really 
a very serious tlnng. 

The Chaikman. Was there any hazing here during the school year 
immediately preceding the present one while your agreement, which 
I understand existed with Admiral Brownson, was in force? 

Midshipman Humphrey. In regard to that, sir, I should say that 
there was no physical hazing of any kind. Well, there was this 
ridicule. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Humphrey. And there were a great many dressings 
down; and one or two instances when fourth class men were forced to 
submit a bazoo, etc. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, if I were to call that hazing, sir, 
it would indicate that I considered the men of these classes to have 
broken their pledge. I do not consider that they did break their 
pledge. 

Mr. Dawson. They carried it out as they understood it. 

Midshipman Humphrey. They carried it out as they understood 
it; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. The classes all did the running, did they not ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not know what pledges the other 
classes took. I simply know the pledges my own class took, because 
I was there at the time and I was on the committee to talk it over 
with Admiral Brownson. We simply took the pledge that we would 
discontinue the practice of running and hazing. We used both 
terms—according to the example set us by the two preceding classes. 
We gave those words, that we would not do anything to the fourth 
class men that had not been done to us. That was the status of my 
class, as regards this matter. 

The Chairman. I was about to ask you how long this agreement 
with Admiral Brownson was in force. 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was in force, sir, with my class from 
about May 15 until the admiral left. 

The Chairman. May 15 of what year? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was our fourth class year. That 
would be 1904. It was from Mav 15, 1904, until Admiral Brownson 
left. 

The Chairman. With your class it was in force from May 15, 1904, 
until the end of the year, when he left ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was it in force a longer period with the first class 
of that year? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I understood that commenced at the beginning 
of the school year, in December. 

Midshipman Humphrey. That was with the class just above me, 
and then the class that was two classes above me had taken it a year 
and a half previous. 

The Chairman. Then it was in force for several years with some of 
the classes? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 75 

The Chairman. What do you understand that agreement to have 
been, Mr. Humphi-ey? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, I understood that agreement to 
have been, sir, that there should be no physical hazing of any kind. 
That is my understanding about the agreement—that it was simply 
that they were to eradicate absolutely any physical hazing of any 
kind. 

The Chairman. Did they use the word physical?’’ 

Midshipman Humphrey. The word ^‘physical” was not used. 

The Chairman. That was the interpretation that your class put 
upon it. 

Midshipman Humphrey. In talking it over with Captain Badger 
we told him that we did not want to discontinue the rates at all; and 
he said that what he regarded as hazing was forcing a fourth class man 
to do a thing that you would not force a classmate to do. 

The Chairman. And you understand that until the commencement 
of the present school year that was pretty thoroughly carried out ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was. 

The Chairman. And that no physical hazing, or scarcely any, un¬ 
less it was a sporadic case, was known ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You say this agreement was made by your class 
about May, 1904? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How did it fii'st come to your knowledge? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The agreement? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Humphrey. A class meeting was called of my class, 
sir. 

The Chairman. At whose request? Who first came to you about 
it? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No one came to me about it. The first 
I heard of it was at the class meeting. 

The Chairman. A regular class meeting, or was it one called for 
some specific purpose? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was one called for some specific pur¬ 
pose. There was no regular class meeting. 

The Chairman. Then this meeting was called for the purpose of 
acting upon this proposition ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where did the proposition come from? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It came, I think, from Admiral Brown- 
son—Captain Brownson, he was then—through Commander Badger. 

The Chairman. Then the suggestion was made to you from Admiral 
Brownson, through Commandant Badger, that the class meet and 
take action upon this request? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was it a request that he made? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; merely a suggestion. 

The Chairman. What was the alternative if the suggestion was not 
adopted by the class? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Admiral Brownson mentioned no alterna- 
and when we had told him that we intended to make this resolu¬ 
tion, he called our attention to the fact that no alternative had been 
mentioned, that there was no alternative. 


76 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chaikman. Mr. Chantry was in the class above you? 

Midsliipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was it your understanding that members of the 
upper class, the senior class at that time, or first class, were required 
to make this agreement, or that as an alternative they should go upon 
the Chesapeake? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I think it was the alternative in that case. 
The only thing that I know is hearsay. 

The Chairman. But in your own class there was no alternative 
proposed ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. We had a pretty clear idea that 
it would be diplomatic for us to adopt it. 

The Chairman. You had an idea that Admiral Brownson had some 
alternatives still in his locker, which he had not brought out ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; to speak very frankly. 

The Chairman. Was your class willing to do that, Mr. Humphrey, 
or were some of them unwilling? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, there were some of them who were 
unwilling, but the saner thinking people really considered it the best 
thing. I will say this, though, when Admiral Brownson wished to 
release us from this pledge there was no effort to again bring it up 
in a class meeting. 

The Chairman. And to renew the agreement? 

Midshipman Humphrey. And to renew the agreement among our¬ 
selves. 

The Chairman. That is, the class, by voluntary action, did not take 
it up and send up a proposition to the new superintendent ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. They were willing to let it go out? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was talked over, but I never heard 
from it in a class meeting. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, will you tell us when and how this 
agreement went into effect? Was any action taken? 

Midshipman Humphrey. There was no action taken; no, sir; except 
down at one of the Naval Academy hops the Superintendent’s orderly 
came to me with the news that Admiral Brownson wished to see me. 
I found him over on one side of the room, and he said that he had con¬ 
sidered that pledge was to him. 

The Chairman. Personally? 

Midshipman Humphrey. To him personally, since he had suggested 
it; and that he did not want to go away leaving that pledge here to 
him personally. But I also discussed with him some other pledges 
that the class had taken- 

The Chairman. At the same time? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, no; there were two or three pledges 
concerning- 

The Chairman. Gouging, and what other? 

Midshipman Humphrey. There was one other pledge we had taken 
in regard to the integrity of the class; that is, the truthfulness of the 
class. The point had come up that there were statements being sent 
in in regard to reports that were really a little bit off color. Admiral 
Brownson suggested it, and they made an agreement that any man 
who sent in a statement and tried to excuse himself of something that 
he had done would have his resignation requested by the class. Of 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


77 


course I told Admiral Brownson those two pledges were not made to 
him, but among ourselves, and that he had no power to release us from 
them, and that we did not want to be released. But the pledge about 
hazing I took back in the name of the class. 

The Chairman. Then the release came directly from the Admiral 
to you as the president of the class ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, as a rule, do the men in your class 
believe in the hazing system? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The better element of the class do not, 
sir. I think they believe very firmly in a system by which a senior 
class man shall be a little bit better than any other classman. 

The Chairman. They believe that would come more under rating, 
do they not ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. More under rating; yes, sir; but as far as 
any physical hazing is concerned I should say there have been very 
few rnen in that class who have done it; and most of them that have, 
done it as a joke. There have been one or two cases where it has not 
been done in the right way; but I think as a rule the men in my class 
have tried to discountenance any physical hazing that was not rnore or 
less of a joke. 

The Chairman. There are some in your class that believe in it as a 
system ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I think there are some of them that 
believe in it as a system; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What reasons do they give? Do they consider it 
is for the benefit of the lower class man, or is it for their own amuse¬ 
ment ? Is it to show the superiority of the upper class man, or is it for 
all of these reasons? 

Midshipman Humphrey. They give as a reason, sir, that it is for the 
benefit or the fourth class man. They give that as a reason, but I 
think those that do uphold it simply delight in the insect authority, if 
I may use such a term, that is given them over the fourth class men. 
I think they are entirely selfish in it. I do not mean to say by that 
that there are not some of them that are very sincere, and I am 
sincere myself in this, that the system of rates is beneficial not only to 
the first class men but also to the fourth class man, because sooner or 
later in the service we have got to learn that we can not have rank 
because of family name. 

Mr. Dawson. That is, it is beneficial up to the point where it 
defines the privileges of the different classes? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. I think it never hurts a fourth 
class man any more than it hurts a man of any other class to have a 
dressing down about some bit of vanity or conceit on his part, or 
something in regard to his deportment or manners—particularly 
table manners. I think anything that tends to give a fourth class 
man or any other class man a military carriage and tends to make him 
conduct and deport himself in a gentlemanly and military manner is 
for the benefit of all parties concerned. 

Mr. Gregg. Speaking about correcting them for table manners and 
things of that kind, that is not an assumed authority, is it? Do they 
not have authority under the regulations to correct a man in his physi¬ 
cal appearance or bearing or for his table manners ? 


78 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Humphrey. The cadet officers and petty officers 
have, but what is known by the slang term here as ‘ ^ clean sleevers ”— 
I do not know how better to term them—have not, by the regulations. 

Mr. Gregg. In other words, that is entrusted exclusively to the 
midshipman officers and petty officers? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, Mr. Humphrey, in the case of a young man 
who comes in, and who has not had porper advantages and oppor¬ 
tunities to learn table manners, you think it is beneficial to him that 
those who sit near him and who perceive the deficiencies on his part 
should call his attention to them in the way which boys have, to 
the end that he may correct them? You think that is a better system 
than calling the attention of the cadet officer in charge privately to 
the matter and permitting him to speak to the young man about it 
quietly? That is, if the desire is to correct the boy’s table manners— 
and that is a laudable object—the young man, doubtless, owing to 
lack of advantages, is not aware of his deficiencies- 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is it not kinder and just as beneficial, to reach the 
desired end by having the cadet officer in charge speak to him by him¬ 
self about it and give him an opportunity to correct them, rather than 
run the chances of wounding his feelings and his sensibiliteis for defi¬ 
ciencies about which perhaps he is in no way to blame, having had 
no opportunity to learn better? Would it not be just as effective 
along that line, and a much better way? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; it would indeed be a much 
better way. 

The Chairman. The theory of hazing, as I understand it, and you 
will know whether you agree with me or not, is that many of the 
practices of hazing and rating and these other things that prevail are 
beneficial to the incoming students—the fourth class men—by ridding 
them of some objectionable feature which they may have picked up, 
reducing their self-conceit, if they have any, ridding them of objec¬ 
tionable habits, if they have any, to the end that they may better fit 
into the comradeship of the body of cadet students and into the 
duties that are assigned them. Those,'! think, are set up as the bene¬ 
fits which can come from hazing. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. I think it would be only an 
idealist that would presume to assert that hazing was instituted or 
crept into a place from any such laudable purpose. I think that haz¬ 
ing is extant here and in colleges simply because it started for the 
amusement of the upper classes; and although I think it has some 
benefits, I do not think it was instituted for any laudable purpose like 
that. Still I do think it has its benefits, although its benefits do not 
by any means outweigh its faults. 

The Chairman. I think your opinion is very sound. 

Mr. Dawson. And very creditable to yourself. 

The Chairman. There are a great number of rules, I see, for the 
regulation of the cadets here? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Their conduct is regulated almost during every 
hour of the day in the most minute particular? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I notice particularly the care with which they are 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


79 


obliged to put their belongings into the lockers, and that it seems to 
be a breach of the regulations unless each article is put on the exact 
shelf where it belongs. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In the endeavor to obey all the rules and regula¬ 
tions laid down in this academy, is it not likely that the green boy 
who comes in with perhaps too much self-conceit or some other unde¬ 
sirable quality will, in the performance of his duty laid down in this 
book and the ordinary associations with the young men around him, 
when he reaches his senior year, be pretty well rid of them? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think, Mr. Humphrey, or do you not think, 
that it is a dangerous practice which always, wherever it has been 
tried, leads to excesses and to the injury of the lower class men, where 
you put into the hands of all the members of a class—hundreds of boys 
of every temperament, some discreet and some not, some prudent and 
some not—where you put into their hands the power to physically 
exercise or haze another man ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that in the end, while if we could be sure it 
would be done with the utmost discretion it might be beneficial in 
some particulars, it is almost always sure to lead to disaster and to 
excessive injury to the lower class men. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphre^q are you familiar enough with the 
feelings of your fellow class men to be able to tell the committee, and 
through the committee the Congress and the people of the United 
States, what their opinions are upon hazing; what their intentions 
and purposes are as to hazing while they remain in the academy? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; I think I can. I will try. I 
have tried very hard to study my classmates since I have been here, 
and I have formed the highest opinion of most of them. I think the 
saner men, the men who would naturally lead a class, are all preju¬ 
diced against hazing. In other words, I think if they could they 
would abolish hazing, and I think if we are allowed the opportunity 
we can abolish hazing in the same way in which hazing crept in. If 
the senior class here can get together and say there shall be no more 
hazing, there will be no more hazing of any kind at all, and I think if 
my class is given the opportunity it would do that. I do not think 
that—well, I want to speak frankly with you. 

Mr. Gregg. You will be protected all along the line. 

The Chairman. We want you to feel that you can speak with all 
frankness, and if there is anything in 5 mur evidence which we think 
would be harmful in any way we will strike it out. ... 

Midshipman Humphrey. 1 think when the board of investigation 
was going on here there were a great many of those men who had 
done the most hazing, and who had therefore approved of hazing, 
who were the most anxious to discontinue it, because, they thought, 
if the class did that, you see. Congress would be more disposed to deal 
lightly with them. I think that six weeks ago or eight weeks ago it 
woula have been easy—a great deal easier—to abolish hazing than it 
is now, because fear is a very strong motive with some people, and I 
think the first fright is a little bit passed and they are getting steadied 
down. Probably they are just as much in danger now of dismissal. 


80 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


but they have been living on the edge of this crater so long now that 
they have become used to it, and I think there are men now opposed 
to it who six weeks ago would have cried the strongest for it. But, I 
still believe that if my class is given the opportunity it will abolish 
hazing, root and branch, in such a way that it will never creep in 
again. 

Mr. Padgett. In what way do you want that opportunity? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I simply wish to be allowed to call a 
class meeting and discuss the matter, and discuss it freely. Then, if 
they decide, as I am confident they will—well, you can not be sure 
of anything, particularly as regards the opinion of a body of people— 
but I think if they are allowed to discuss it freely there would be no 
doubt that they would send out a declaration, as from the first class 
to the under class men, that there will be no more hazing, and that 
they would enforce that. If my class would decide this, and an offi¬ 
cial representative of the first class would go to the fourth class and 
tell them that they were no longer to submit to anything in the line 
of hazing, the first third class man who came in to say anything to 
them would be promptly put out of the door. I think the way to 
abolish hazing would be for the first class to declare it off, and make 
the fourth class men understand that they were to protect them¬ 
selves, and I think they would. I know they would, because they 
are Americans, and the only reason they submit to this is because 
they feel it is—■— 

Mr. Dawson. Unwritten law ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The unwritten law, and the first class is 
a law unto itself. When the first class declares that unwritten law 
repealed, being Americans, they would be the first to protect them¬ 
selves. I think in that way—I do not know how long my class will 
be here—the thing will be so completely rooted out that no other 
class can ever take it up again. 

The Chairman. Do you know that the cadets at West Point took 
that action five years ago; that there was a voluntary declaration on 
their part against hazing, which, I think, has always been kept since ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I do not. 

The Chairman. It might not be out of the way for me to say to 
you, and through you to your class, that so far as we can learn Con¬ 
gress is very strongly opposed to the practices called hazing which 
have grown up in Annapolis. It is contrary to the law of the land, 
and it is not considered creditable to the young men who are prepar¬ 
ing themselves to enter the service of the United States and enforce 
the laws of the country to begin it by violation of those laws during 
their term in the academy. I think you know yourself that the 
people of the United States are very strongly opposed to it. As it 
stands at present, you are no doubt familiar with the law which 
requires that in case of hazing at this academy, or at West Point, the 
cadet accused of hazing shall be brought before a court-martial, and, 
if convicted, shall be forthwith dismissed from the institution. That 
is the way the law stands at present. That is the law which stands at 
present before every boy in this institution to whom hazing can be 
traced. It means that, if that law is to stand, it will turn out every 
boy against whom hazing can be proved, whether there be 10 boys or 
200 boys, or every student in this academy. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, sir-- 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


81 


The Chairman. Let me conclude, please. It is the opinion of the 
committee that Congress, and through Congress the people of the 
Lnited States, would like to know, if they can, the opinion which the 
classes here now have upon the subject of hazing. Of course, along 
with their opinion, I think Congress, at least, would be glad to know 
the intentions of the young men here as to whether they intend to 
obey the law or whether they do not. This committee would be glad 
to be informed upon those points, if it can be. You have already 
given us your opinion, and the committee considers it very creditable 
to you, and, so far as you know, it is the opinion of your class. If, 
before the committee adjourns its hearings, you can give us any 
further and more exact information concerning your class upon this 
question of hazing, we would be very glad to receive it. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I should like to have a chance to say 
exactly what our opinions are, sir. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Humphrey. We are more than glad to have this 
chance to say it, because I think it is due to us. We know we have 
done wrong, yet we feel that we would like to have a hearing that 
would be direct, and I would like to give our opinion to the committee. 

We came here, most of us, very young. It was probably our first 
time away from home, and we clid not have very much experience. 
We did not know really how much we owed to' Congress and how 
much we did not owe to Congress. We came in in this way, and we 
let matters drift. We fell into the rut which existed here. We were 
not responsible directly for it. We did not encourage it, but we 
allowed ourselves to drift into this rut. This matter has now been 
brought to a head. We have read the opinions of Congress and the 
opinions of the people at large, and we have come to a realization 
that we have been absolutely and altogether wrong. We realize, 
each and every one of us, that we owe to Congress the thing that we 
hold dearest in the world, our chance to serve the United States, and 
we have come to the conclusion that we have voluntarily and most 
foolishly jeopardized that which is dearest to every one of us, the 
chance of serving the grandest Government in the world. We feed 
that we have done wrong, but we are sorry, and we would like to have 
another chance. That is the way we feel. We feel that we have 
shown ourselves not only incompetent in the profession that we have 
chosen, but that we have shown ourselves most ungrateful, owing 
what we do, our careers, to Congress. We would like to show Con¬ 
gress first, and then the American people, what we can do. My class 
has been here almost three years now, and, although they have done 
some wrong, and a good deal of wrong, in continuing this practice of 
hazing, we feel that we have done some good. The course here is a 
most rigid course, and every man wUo is as high as second class has 
worked hard for his position, and we feel that we do not w ant the Con¬ 
gress or the American people to lose sight of some of the good that 
we have done, or of the great wrong that we have done. Possibly we 
have hazed—w^e have hazed and have countenanced the practice of 
hazing—but we feel that that fact does not preclude us from making 
good naval officers if w^e determine henceforth to do better. We are 
going to do right hereafter, every man—not every man, because it is 
said that opportunity only comes to a man once in a lifetime. But 
we feel that if Congress would be generous enough to give us another 
IT. Doc. (‘*00. 59-1-6 


82 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


opportunity, we will show them that we can do better. We have 
been wrong, but we will do better in the future and we will do well. 
We have worked hard for three years to fit ourselves for the service 
of our country, and we feel that if we were to lose that opportunity— 
to me it would be the hardest blow I could receive. I know that 
every man in my class feels the same way, that he has worked hard 
these three years, and at the age of 20 that seems a long time. W e 
feel that we are almost on the eve of going out into the service of our 
country, and that if all this work should be lost because of something 
that we have been very foolish about, it would be a very hard blow, 
and we ourselves assure you and can prove to you that hazing will be 
no more. 

The Chairman. Yes, sir. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I would like to say, sir, that if my class 
is given this opportunity I am sure that, as a class, they will utter the 
same sentiments exactly. So far as hazing is concerned, as the 
senior class, I know we can stamp it out root and branch, and it is 
my confident belief that we will do it if we are given the opportunity. 

I certainly compliment the judgment of Admiral Sands, the super¬ 
intendent of this place, in stamping out hazing himself, because he is 
put here to do it. He is in authority. It would hardly be com¬ 
patible with military discipline for him to call on his subordinates 
to help him in this matter. We feel that hazing has not gronw up 
with the consent of the authorities or with the volition of the au¬ 
thorities, but it has growm up. The only way to cure it is to attack it 
in the way it has grown up. It is in our power to do that, and we 
want to do it. 

Mr. Gregg. You say it you have the opportunity. Have you 
been denied the opportunity of having a meeting on this subject? 

Midshipman Humphrey. In regard to that, Mr. Grady, the presi¬ 
dent of the class preceding mine had a talk with Admiral Sands, 
but Admiral Sands denied him that meeting, because Mr. Grady, I 
think, did not go about it in exactly a military manner. Not that I 
wish to criticise Mr. Grady at all, but I think he was a little tactless, 
if I may use that expression. I think he wished to make a condition 
with the superintendent, that the superintendent would recommend 
leniency to Congress if his class would do this thing. 

The Chairman. The admiral has been before us, and his evidence 
is public matter which you can read when it is printed, so there will 
be no harm in telling what we understand his position to be, namely, 
that he, as the superior officer and superintendent of this academy, 
should not call together the young men under his charge and subject 
to his authority and make any agreement- 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; that is right. 

The Chairman. As to carrying out the law, which we are all 
bound to obey. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Of course. 

The Chairman. I may say, in behalf of the committee, that we are 
inclined to approve of that position. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Of course; it should be approved of. 

The Chairman. But I think you would find, if the young men vol¬ 
untarily (not in the nature of an agreement, but merely as a com¬ 
munication of their opinion and frame of mind about it) would come 
to some conclusion on that subject, he would be very glad to know 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


88 


that the young men themselves were setting their faces against it, 
and assisting in carrying out the authority of the academy. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I am sure he would. Therefore I 
wanted to make it plain that this right had been denied to the class 
above us. But my class would like to have a chance of having a 
meeting, and of discussing things, and discussing things fully. We 
wish to make no conditions at all. M e simply wish to shoAV Congress 
and the American people that we want to do right, and we feel that 
although we deserve no leniency, possibly if we did so Congress would 
. be disposed to deal more leniently with us. 

The Chairman. I think if an application were made for that pur¬ 
pose it would not be refused. I feel very sure it would not be. 

Mr. Gregg. You might state, Mr. Chairman, that if they needed 
it they would have the benefit of our approval in making their 
application. 

Mr. Padgett. I suppose that would be from the admiral. 

Mr. Gregg. He certainly would throw no obstacle in the way, to 
keep them from having a meeting. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I think there would be no doubt at all 
of the absolute willingness of the admiral to let us have that meeting; 
but we have all of us just been through a very rigid examination, and 
very few of us know exactly where we stand, f can not say that we 
have had a time in view for holding this meeting, but we have been 
discussing hazing ever since it has been brought so clearly to our 
minds how wrong such a practice was. I think now, if Congress— 
well, I think Congress would like to have a declaration on our part 
to show them that we are not so ungrateful as we appear to be. I 
think we will do that, and I think we will have no trouble in doing it. 
I know, as you say, it is hardly the thing for inferior officers to try 
to make conditions with a superior, and I think Admiral Sands is 
absolutely right in what he has done. 

The Chairman. You would not expect a colonel of a regiment to 
draw his men up in line and ask them if they would obey the orders 
which he gave as their superior officer? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Not a bit of it; no, sir. 

The Chairman. I am unable to escape the conclusion that upon 
that point Admiral Sands is absolutely correct, as an officer. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Absolutely; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The young men have already taken the oath to 
obey the regulations; but that does not mean that any voluntary 
action on the part of these cadets which would be an expression of 
their opinion and of their intention, and which would perhaps be 
primarily intended as information for this committee and for Con¬ 
gress, would not be very acceptable to him. I think he would be 
glad to know it. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I meant in no manner to criticise the 
action of Admiral Sands. I can see myself the good he has done for 
this place. Everything he has done has shown that right along. 
The brigade, as it stands to-day, has better discipline by 1,000 per 
cent than when I came. The cadets feel that Admiral Sands 
has done a great deal for this place. MHben he came here, there were 
a great many old traditions that were contrar}^ to the regulations, 
and, as you know, a man can not serve two masters. To obey the 
regulations under some conditions, by reason of these traditions. 


84 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


meant almost social ostracism. He has turned that out, root and 
branch, and now a man can do his duty without fear or favor, which 
he could not do before. 

The committee, at 1 o’clock p. m., took a recess until 1.30 o’clock 
p. m. 

After recess the subcommittee reassembled at 1.30 o’clock p. m., 
Hon. E. B. Vreeland in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN CHURCHILL HUMPHREY, 

U. S. NAVY—Continued. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, the understanding with Admiral 
Brownson, as interpreted by the class, was that the agreement 
referred to physical hazing. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The disciplinary officers of the academy are four 
in number, I think? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Under the command of the commandant of cadets? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They are the ones who come directly in contact 
with the students—the midshipmen ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know whether hazing in any of its forms 
was encouraged by any of the officers? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Why, to my knowledge there was noth¬ 
ing of that kind ever brought up. I think it may have been that 
several of them expressed the opinion that hazing might be a good 
thing if it were not carried too far, but Congress can not entrust it 
to midshipmen without carrying it too far; but that if it were carried 
on within proper limits, and were not forbidden, it might be con¬ 
sidered to be a good thing. I have heard several express such an 
opinion as that, but I know of no direct case of such hazing. There 
are a good many rumors and hearsay reports that go about here, sir, 
to the effect that officers have countenanced hazing, but they are all 
so very vague that I have never paid any attention to them. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any instance of hazing having 
taken place in the presence of an officer? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. At the mess hall, all of the student body, the 
midshipmen, have their meals together? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In a very large hall? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many of these disciplinary naval officers are 
there ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. One. 

The Chairman. Only one? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How could the practice of sending fourth class 
men under the table prevail and escape the attention of the officer in 
charge? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Very easily, sir. It is an immense mess 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


85 


hall and the officer in charge really could not supervise more than four 
or five tables. There must be more than one hundred, and he could 
not see the end tables at all. 

The Chairman. Is there a good deal of noise caused by conversa¬ 
tion, rattling of dishes, and by the waiters about the room? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; it is absolutely deafening. 
T ou can not converse at the table except to the man next to you, and 
you can not converse at all in an ordinary voice. 

The Chairman. Then the boys who are directed to repeat the head¬ 
lines in the papers, and do such things at the table, could do that 
without fear or detection by the officer in charge? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; without any fear at all.’ 

The Chairman. How many naval officers are in Bancroft Hall? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Only one is stationed there all the time, 
the officer in charge, who is one of the four disciplinary officers; but 
each of the four disciplinary officers has his office in Bancroft Hall and 
has certain hours when he is in his office; and the commandant is 
there and the senior assistant to the commandant. 

The Chairman. One of these officers, when he is on duty, is there 
for a full day ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And the others, while they have offices there are 
absent performing other duties? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many floors are there in Bancroft Hall? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Four, and the ground floor, sir. 

The Chairman. How can cadets, for instance, fight in the rooms, or 
have forms of hazing that are noisy, without having it come to the 
attention of the officer in charge? 

Midshipman Humphrey. The building is such an immense one, sir, 
that the officer in charge will pass probably each locality once during 
his tour of duty. He could not inspect the whole building, and there 
is always, during the recreation hours, some noise—quite a little noise 
about the building—and particularly in the rooms there is a great deal 
of skylarking, overturning of furniture, and that sort of thing. 

The Chairman. Did most of this hazing in the rooms take place 
during the recreation hour? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, in regard to hazing in the rooms, I 
do not know, because I never saw but one instance of that since I have 
been an upper class man. That did take place in recreation hours. 

The Chairman. Where did the hazing usually take place? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I suppose in the rooms, sir, and some at 
the table—very little. 

The Chairman. Are those two places about the only places where 
it could be performed without public observation? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. I might say that hazing could 
be very easily carried on within the building without the knowledge 
of the officer in charge, because it did not come to even my notice, and 
I was an undergraduate midshipman. All the time that I have been 
back from leave, I do not think I have seen a case of physical hazing. 
I can not remember of one now. 

The Chairman. It is your opinion, I understand, that the disciplin¬ 
ary officers of the institution had little or no knowledge of hazing, the 
practicing of hazing, that was going on? 


80 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Humphkey. No, sir; I can not form an opinion of that. 

The Chairman. I do not mean the rating, but I mean the physical 
forms of hazing—standing them on their heads, and those things. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not see how they could have known 
of it, sir, because I feel sure if they had found any physical hazing 
they would have reported it. I think it must have been noticed in the 
mess hall that the fourth class men sat up straighter, and did not talk; 
but that was not so very apparent at those tables around the officer in 
charge. I think there was very little said to the fourth class men 
there. 

The Chairman. Would that be rating or hazing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I should say that not talking at the table 
would be rating, because if everybody talks nobody can talk; and the 
matter of sitting up straight—well, that may be more a form of haz¬ 
ing, it would seem to me. 

Mr. Dawson. May I ask one question about the mess hall? 

The Chairman. Of course. 

Mr. Dawson. Does the officer who is on duty in the mess hall at 
meals simply take his place at the table in the center of the mess hall 
and stay there, or does he go up and down? 

Midshipman Humphrey. He goes up and down very occasionally. 
I think I have seen two instances of that this year. He sits at the 
staff table, in the middle of the room. 

Mr. Dawson. He eats his meals there? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; he eats his meals there. 

Mr. Gregg. Would it have been possible for him to have done that 
and not seen that sitting up at the table, the w^ay the fourth class men 
were compelled to sit up ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. In regard to that I could not say. I 
know that when he did pass down the mess hall once or twice the word 
was always passed from table to table to tell the fourth class men to 
sit back; but I have never sat at the staff table, so I really would 
rather not express my opinion on it. 

The Chairman. Then, generally, so far as your knowledge and obser¬ 
vation have gone, there was no knowledge on the part of the naval 
officers that hazing was going on? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Nothing; except these very vague rumors 
that would come through a dozen hands. 

The Chairman. As to their opinion? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No; as to some instances. 

Mr. Padgett. What were those instances? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I hear of one rumor, but it came through 
so many hands that I did not pay any attention to it—that Mr. Wiley— 
Lieutenant-Commander Wiley—had seen several fourth class men 
come out of a second class man’s room. I believe the second class 
man was ^h. Rhodes—I can not be sure at all—and he had stopped 
and questioned them. That is all I heard. I paid no further atten¬ 
tion to it. Then I also heard, which is merely another rumor, an 
instance in September, where Lieutenant Buchanan, who was then 
officer in charge, had come across a similar group. But they were all 
so very vague that I simply repeat them because I was asked to. I 
do not put any credit in them myself. 

Mr. Gregg. Who was the other officer? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Lieutenant Buchanan. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


87 


The Chairman. Lieutenant-Commander Wiley is not here any 
more, is he? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Lieutenant-Commander Wiley is one of 
the discipline officers. 

Mr. Gregg. Is Buchanan here now? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; he is attached to the ordnance 
department. 

Mr. Loud. I want to ask you how many class tights have taken 
place, so far as you renienber or can estimate, during the present 


Midshipman Humphrey. None, sir. 
Mr. Loud. None? 


Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; none. 

Mr. Loud. I mean during the present school year? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. That is, since actual physical hazing has come in class 
fighting has dropped out to a considerable extent ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; it has. 

Mr. Loud. May I ask you how many class fights took place in the 
last year when there was no physical hazing—about ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, we had one that was an actual class 
fight, and one that arose over a class matter—that is, my class and the 
class above me. There was one, I think. Then there were fights 
which were not class fights, but quite a number of them which would 
aries from difficulties. 

Mr. Loud. What I have reference to are fights that took place 
between members of the fourth class and members of your class when 
you were then in the third class. 

Midshipman Humphrey. One; or you could practically say two, 
sir. 

Mr. Loud. There were a great many more fights than that that 
took place during the year? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Most of them, then, were for personal reasons? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. There were only two fights in which fourth class men 
and third class men engaged? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Oh, no, sir. What we call a class fight 
is where a fourth class man is defeated and will have to fight again. 
A personal fight may be between members of any two classes. 

Mr. Loud. What I have reference to is the fights in which the 
fourth class, man is put against a member of the third class chosen by 
the president. 

Midshipman Humphrey. There were only two. 

Mr. Loud. In all other cases they fought as between the two men 
who had the difficulty? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; who had the original difficulty. 

Mr. Loud. How many were there altogether between members of 
the fourth class and members of the third class ? How many, as near 
as you can remember? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I should roughly estimate it, sir, as 
between seven and ten. I think, if I had time, I could probably 
think them out. 

The Chairman. During the year, is this, Mr. Loud ? 


/ 


88 


HAZING AT THE NAVA;. ACADEMY. 


Mr. LoHd. The last academic year, when he was a third class man. 
Recalling the fact that one of the upper class men from my own State 
disclosed the fact that he had been referee in 19 fights during his stay 
here, does not that indicate that there was quite a large number of 
fights ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; I counted it up with, him. 
There have been over 40 fights since he had been here, and over 30 
since I have been here. 

Mr. Loud. You say there were how man}^ between members of the 
fourth class and members of the third class last year ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I should roughly estimate it at about 
even. 

Mr. Loud. Were any of those fights in which the fourth class man 
won? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. Mr. Meriwether defeated a Mr. 
McGill in my class. 

Mr. Padgett. Did Meriwether have to fight again? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, indeed; this was purely a personal 
matter. I think in the others, the upper class men almost invariably 
got the decision. They are not all of them clear in my mind. 

Mr. Padgett. It is a general fact that there were about 40 fights 
while Mr. Fitch was here, and about 30 fights while you were here? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And only 7 or 8 of those fights out of 30 were 
between fourth and third class men ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Were those between fourth class men and third class 
men from purely personal reasons, for breaking the rates, or some 
class matters ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Two were from breaking of rates, and 
the others were purely personal reasons. 

Mr. Padgett. In these 30 fights, in your recollection, were any of 
the men taken to the hospital? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Almost invariably one or both of them 
went to the hospital, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know what reason they assigned when they 
went to the hospital for going to the hospital ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think- 

Mr. Padgett. I mean what cause would they give ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think they would assign any 
reason. I think it was just taken for granted that the reason was 
self-evident, sir. 

Mr. Loud. I would like to ask one more question. Was there not a 
feeling that they would be taken care of in the hospital without any 
report being made? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. As a matter of honor between the surgeon and the boys— 
that they would be protected ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Well, sir, I think everybody that went 
there was perfectly sure that there would be nothing further developed. 
Mr. Dawson. That it would not be reported ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. That it would not be reported. 

The Chairman. The doctors must stand pretty high in the estima¬ 
tion of the boys. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


89 


Mr. Gregg. They have great confidence in the doctors, at least. 

Ihe Chairman. The next thing 1 have down here is as to the 
practice when a boy is injured from fighting or hazing and goes to the 
doctor, which you have already answered, namely—but before asking 
that, I suppose unless the injury is somewhat serious they do not go to 
the doctor; in case of lighting, I mean? 

Midshipman Hu:mpiirey. Yes, sir; they generally do. Most of the 
casualties in fights consist of broken knuckles, or sprained wrists, or 
something of that kind. 

The Chairman. For a mere black eye, or a cut lip, unless it requires 
stitches or something of that kind, they would not call upon the 
doctor ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It would he onty in case the doctors' services are 
needed to sew up a cut or mend a broken hone? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So 1 assume that a majority of the cases of fighting 
would not go to the hospital? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Exce])t for these sprains, sir. In nearly 
every fight one or both of the men went over next morning to have 
iodine put on a sprain, or a bandage put on, but they do not have to 
enter the hos[)ital. They were not laid up in bed. 

The Chaip.man. Do you know whether they make a record of it 
if there is merely iodine to he })ut on a sprain or painted over ? 

iVfidshipman Humphrey. I think they do. 

Idle Chairman. Ever}' case that goes into the hospital must be 
entered in the hooks? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; I think so. 

The Chairman. You say you think a majority of them come to the 
hospital. Is it necessary for a majority of them to come, in order to 
have their injuries treated? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Either to have their injuries treated or 
to rest up. Of course fighting is a most violent physical exercise, 
and next day the combatant is very stiff and sore in his muscles. He 
can hardly move and it is really necessary that he shovdd have two 
or three days’ rest, not so much from any injuries he had received, hut 
from the physical exertion. 

The Chairman. And unless he comes to the hospital he can not get 
any rest ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. He could not stay in bed in his room? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. So it brings most of them to the hospital ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So the conclusion from that would be that most 
of the cases of fighting do come to the hospital? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Did either of these two class fights, of which you spoke 
as happening in the last academic year, grow out of hazing, do you 
remember ? 

Midshipman FTumphrey. The reason assigned for the first one, 
that of Mr. Meriwether, was simply for a general disregard of rates. 
He was not sufficiently respectful. There is a certain amount of 
respect that is demanded. The other one was a case of a deliberate 


90 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


refusal, I think, of a fourth class man to tell a story. He was told to 
tell a story —that he need not tell a smutty story, you know—but he 
had to tell a story, and he deliberately refused. 

The Chairman. You were under pledge not to physically haze 
him, so the only other method of enforcing the orders was by a fight? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; but that was not really a class 
fight, because he concluded to keep the rate, or at least to do ydiat he 
was told, but his own class told him, having gone so far, that if he did 
not fight he would be ostracized. 

The Chairman. These fights generally take place in the rooms, do 
they? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are they fights to a finish? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many men are concerned in the fights 
directly ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. You mean including the officials as well 
as the principals? 

The Chairman. Yes, sir. 

Midshipman Humphrey. They have a referee, a timekeeper, and 
each man has either one, two, or three seconds. 

The Chairman. Do you have any sentinels posted out? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I can not remember any case 
where there were. There have been cases where there has been a 
man of a senior class present to keep out intruders. 

The Chairman. Do you use any gloves in these fights? 

Midshipman Humphrey. As a general rule the practice has been 
to use gloves. 

The Chairman. How heavy are they? 

Midshipman Humphrey. They are very light gloves. They are 
simply used as a protection to the knuckles. 

The Chairman. Are the Marquis of Queensbury rules adhered 
to in these fights ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; except as to the time limit of 
the rounds. -And the Marquis of Queensbury rules, as I understand 
it, permit of striking in clinches. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Humphrey. There is a rule that prevails for clean 
breaks and no striking in clinches. 

The Chairman. About what hour of the day do these fights gen¬ 
erally take place, as a general rule ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. As a rule, during supper formation. 

The Chairman. While the remainder of the midshipmen are down 
at supper? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. With your knowledge of the disciplinary organi¬ 
zation here do you think, it would be possible, or do you not think 
it is so, that if the officers really wanted to find out who had been 
fighting they would have had no particular trouble in doing so? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I think they would have had 
no trouble at all if they really wanted to find out." I know of several 
cases where they did run across them—that is, ran across- 

Mr. Gregg. What is that? Please develop that. 

Midshipman Humphrey. It was actually found out. I remem- 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


91 


ber last summer on the practice cruise there was a fight on the fore¬ 
castle of the Atlanta. It was stopped, and the men were reported. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey, if rating was done away with— 
the principal forms of rating—would not that pretty well do away 
with clast fighting? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; I think it would. 

The Chairman. I think you told us that class fighting resulted 
from the refusal of the lower class men to obey the directions of the 
upper class men ? 

Midsliipman Humphrey Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is the feeling of your class about class fight¬ 
ing? I do not mean a personal, accidental encounter between two 
men who have some difference, but I mean the selection of an upper 
class man, where they are pretty sure he will whip the lower class 
man. Do they think that is just the fair thing? 

Midshipman Humphrey. In regard to that, sir, we do not consider 
that that would be just the fair thing. You see the choice devolves 
upon m 3 "self, so I never selected a man. 

The Chairman. Does it not look to the members of the class as 
severe and a little unfair perhaps—almost cowardly perhaps—to 
put against a fourth class man who comes here without practice or 
knowledge of how to defend himself, who has never had an oppor¬ 
tunity to learn, some seasoned upper class man selecte dfor his skill 
and knowledge of fighting, so that the young man really has very 
little chance and is almost sure to be whipped? Does it not occur 
to the members of your class that that is hardly the fair and manly 
. w^ay ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. It certainly does, sir; and for that rea¬ 
son I never would select a man to defend the class. 

Mr. Gregg. You never would select one to do the fighting? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir; I alwaj^s did it m^'self. 

The Chairman. If you were to bring the matter of hazing to the 
attention of 3 rour class, for such action as it wishes to take, do a'OU 
not think it would be willing to include class fighting? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; I do. 

The Chairman. I think the opinion of the people and the senti¬ 
ment of Congress that I have heard expressed is that it strikes the 
average man as savoring very much of cowardly, unfair practice. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; and I am perfectly in accord 
with that. 

The Chairman. Personal differences may arise among men any¬ 
where, and with young men that is more likely to be the case than 
with older men. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And in anger men may have personal encounters; 
but the deliberate selection of a class man, tough and seasoned and 
experienced, to be pitted against a green bo}^ strikes the people out¬ 
side as being rather a cowardly practice. 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I think the committee would like to know the 
opinion of your class upon that subject if it can be ascertained. 

Mishipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. But I would like to say, gen¬ 
tlemen, that that is not as black as it is painted. We have got the 
credit for doing something there that we have not done, and that is 


92 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


simply this. The young class man knows perfectly well that he is 
going to be opposed to a trained fighter if he does break this rate. 
The rates that he has to keep, in some cases, have not been right; 
but in most cases there is nothing in it that would humiliate any inan, 
such as keeping off a certain bench or off a certain walk; and if a 
man deliberately, knowing that he has to fight a seasoned fighter, 
will step up and sit on a class bench when he has no right to be there, 
why the man has almost brought it on himself. 

The Chairmah. He invites a catastrophe? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. That is pure bravado on liis 
part in most cases. There has iDeen grand stand plays of that kind 
where a fourth class man likes a little bit to play to the gallery, but 
it is not confined to the fourth class. Perhaps a third class man likes 
to play a little to the gallery, and so he will refuse to recognize a sec¬ 
ond or a first class rate, knowing that he will have to fight this seasoned 
fighter. There is a great deal of hero worship in the academy, and 
a great deal of hero worship for physical courage. Very often a bit 
of foolish bravado of that kind appears as physical courage, and a 
man will do that for the same reason that people will jump off of the 
Brooklyn Bridge. But I perfectly agree with you, sir, that class 
fighting should be stopped. There should be some other method of 
settling difficulties. 

The Chairman. How many cadets officers are there in the mess 
room ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Of cadet officers and cadet petty offi¬ 
cers, roughly speaking, there are about 150. 

The Chairman. An ample number to supervise thoroughly the 
proceedings that take place? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; two at each table. 

The Chairman. There could be no excuse, I suppose, that the 
cadet officers do not see the practice of sending men under the table 
and putting them on their heads between the tables? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

The Chairman. That would also be true, I suppose, about breaches 
of the regulations and discipline in Bancroft Hall—that the cadet 
officers, or at least most of them, know of them? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. No reports were made of these breaches of dis¬ 
cipline during the present school year or during this period of hazing 
that we are talking about ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No reports of either hazing or fighting, 
if that is what I understand by breaches of discipline. 

The Chairman. Yes, sir; What violations of the regulations 
have these petty officers reported, if any? 

Midshipman Humphrey. They have reported just about every¬ 
thing else, sir; just about every other breach except that I never have 
known them to report a breach of the regulation of drinking. I 
.never have known that to be reported, but I think everything else 
in that blue book has been reported at sometime or other by the 
cadet officers. 

The Chairman. You think, as a rule, that the cadet officers have 
reported offenses against the regulations outside of those arising 
from hazing and rating, and you make one further exception, and 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


98 


th^t is drinking. \ ou think beyond that they have generally re¬ 
ported offenses against the regulations and the violations of them? 

Midshipman Humphrey. As a rule they have either reported 
them or suppressed them. Before Admiral Sands came here and 
to just a small extent now there was a little prejudice against report¬ 
ing a classmate for a breach of the regulations, but that is practically 
done away with now. 

The Chairman. A sort of code of honor had grown up among the 
students that their duty in protecting their classmates was greater 
than their obligation as cadet officers to report violations ? 

Midshipman PIumphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That would, I think, about cover it, would it not, 
in respect to these matters? 

^lidshipman PIumphrey. Yes, sir; P think so. 

The Chairman. Pf the classes themselves put their faces against 
hazing and discountenanced it, would that have the effect of causing 
the cadet officers to report violations consisting of hazing the same as 
they would other violations? 

Midshipman Humphrey. P think, sir, that they would make every 
effort in their power first to suppress it and absolutely suppress it, 
and if they saw that they were unable to suppress it they would 
report it, P believe. But P know they could suppress it without 
reporting, and P think that is the course that in all probability they 
would take, because it would be an awful temptation to a man to 
neglect his duty when he knew that by doing his duty he would cause 
the dismissal of another midshipman. There could not help but be 
a little of the schoolboy ethics still, but P think hazing would be abso¬ 
lutely suppressed. P think if they saw that they could not stop it 
and stop it entirely, they would report it. P think there is no doubt 
about that at all. P think if it was just one case, they would rather 
suppress it than to report it, but P know that if the classes set their 
faces against it there would be no hazing, because if an upper class man 
would go into a fourth class man’s room and tell him to go on his head 
and the fourth class man would tell the upper class man to get out of 
the room, there would be just a deadlock right there. 

The Chairman. And he would be upheld in it by the public opinion 
of the midshipmen? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; and if an upper class man said 
anything to a plebe smaller than himself he would be a coward, and 
if the plebe was larger than himself he would get licked. 

The Chairman. P notice that hazing has been done to some extent 
by the senior class here during the last six months. Ps not that 
against the tradition of hazing itself in the academy? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Pt always has been, sir, but P think very 
probably it was simply a natural effect. The first class—that is the 
class that just graduated—never were allowed to haze, and when they 
finally got to their first-class year and were allowed to haze they were 
not like a boy who has rubbed the paint off his toy, but they were like 
a boy with a perfectl}^ new toy. 

The Chairman. They were hastening to obtain some of their 
rights before they went away. 

Mr. Padgett. What do you mean by the expression that they had 
not had the right to haze, and that they came into their rights to haze 
in the last year? 


94 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Humphrey. I don’t know. Did I put it in that way? 
I was wrong in my expression. What I meant was that they w*ere 
pledged not to haze. I did not mean that they had any right to haze, 
except just by the right of tradition. They were pledged not to haze. 

Mr. Padgett. You simply have reference to the release of that 
personal pledge that they had given? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; to Admiral Brownson. 

Mr. Padgett. And that they gave more credit to the traditional 
right to haze than they did to their obligation to obey the regulationsi 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Judge Gregg desires to ask some questions, I 
believe. 

Mr. Gregg. I only wish to ask one or two. During this last 
scholastic year, we will call it, prior to the Branch-Meriwether affair, 
what regulation, order, or instruction was promulgated among the 
midshipmen to prevent hazing, if any? 

Midshipman Humphrey. I do not think I know of any, sir, this 
year, except- 

Mr. Gregg. Have you any reason to believe that prior to the 
Branch-Meriwether affair the officers, or any of them, knew, or by 
the use of reasonable care might have known, that hazing in any of 
its forms was being practiced ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. No; all I can say about that, sir, is that 
they knew—at least I think they knew—that the class had been 
released from its pledge by Admiral Brownson, and they knew that 
hazing was the old tradition at the Naval Academy. Further than 
that I could not make any statement at all. 

Mr. Gregg. You think, then, that the disciplinary officers here 
knew that the class had been released from that pledge by Admiral 
Brownson ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir; because I remember that I 
myself told the commandant of midshipmen that we were released 
from that pledge. 

Mr. Gregg. What commandant was that? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Captain Colvocoresses. I told him that 
we had been released from that pledge, and I remember that he said 
at the time he was not going to exact any pledge, but was going to 
enforce the regulations. 

The Chairman. Do any of the rest of you gentlemen wish to ask 
any questions? 

Mr. Gregg. There is one more I would like to ask. The officer in 
charge of Bancroft Hall every day had an office in the building, did 
he not? 

Midshipman FIumphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What was his custom ? To stay in the office or to be 
active around the hall in visiting the rooms and making his presence 
generally felt among the midshipmen? What was his custom; to 
remain in his office or to pursue the other course? 

Midshipman Humphrey. At the beginning of the academic year, 
I am not sure, but I know that lately his course has been to make his 
presence felt. 

Mr. Gregg. That is, since the Branch-Meriwether affair, is it not ? 

Midshipman Humphrey. In regard to that, sir, I do not believe I 
remember. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


95 


Mr. Gregg. All right; that is all. 

Mr. Loup. I would like to ask one more question. On the occasion 
of a fight in the rooms at the time of the supper formation, what 
means are to be taken to evade the call at supper formation? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Simply to tell the cadet petty officer who 
mustered the company why you wanted to be absent, and when he 
sent in his company report, he would not include your name. 

Mr. Loud. That was one of the only causes for which a man is 
excused at formation? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. What cause would he give him? 

Mr. Loud. It is a matter of honor, as I understand, that he would 
not report him. 

Mr. Gregg. He would not reportuhim as absent at supper forma- 

Midshipman Humphrey. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. And then the cadet officer would understand there 
was going to be a fight? 

Midshipman Humphrey. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is all. The members of the committee at the 
session next week would be very glad to learn of some*action on the 
part of your classmates that would indicate that they agree with the 
sentiments you have expressed to us. 

Midshipman Humphrey. I am very sure they will. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN THEODORE STARK WILKINSON, 

U. S. NAVY. 

The Chairman. What is your fidl name? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Theodore Stark Wilkinson, jr. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Louisiana. 

The Chairman. The fourth class does not have a class organization, 
I understand? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And will not have until they become the third 
class ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir; next fall the officers will be 
elected. 

The Chairman. Next fall your class will be entitled to have class 
organization and a president? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many members are there in your class? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think at present there are about 230. 
We started with 247, but there have been about 17 resignations. 

The Chairman. Are you very familiar, Mr. Wilkinson, with the 
feeling and sentiments of the boys of your class on the regulations and 
matters of school life which come up ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think I am, sir. 

The Chairman. You talk them over a good deal? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that you understand about how the other boys 
feel on these matters? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 


/ 


96 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. You think you can safely give us information as 
to how they feel upon these matters? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think, as far as I know—I could not 
say absolutely that I could speak as to the majority of the class—but 
so far as 1 have talked it over with anybody, I think I could give their 
opinions. 

The Chairman. You have talked with a good many, have you, 
during the last few months, on these matters? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. We are new here, and of course, 
there has been a good deal of conversation about the regulations and 
how they strike us. 

The Chairman. The committee, Mr. Wilkinson, is here to conduct 
an investigation in behalf of the Naval Committee of the House of 
Representatives, and by direction of the President and the Secretary 
of the Navy the superintendent calls before us anyone that we desire to 
question; and we desire, in addition to that, to administer the usual 
oath as to the truth of the answers which you shall give to us. You 
will please rise, therefore, and I will give to you the oath. 

Midshipman Theodore Stark Wilkinson, jr., U. S. Navy, being 
duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. Mr. Wilkinson, the feeling of the committee is 
very friendly toward the boys here, and we are not seeking evidence 
for any purpose except that we may report back to Congress as to 
the conditions which exist here, and whether any changes should be 
made. That is the only purpose in conducting this investigation; so 
that you can feel free to answer fully all the questions which we ask, 
knowing that the committee will protect the evidence. That is, if 
the names of boys should be called for during the examination, that 
does not mean that they are to be given out to the public. It simply 
means that it might be necessary for our information, and unless it is 
necessary we do not care for the names of specific boys. We want 
to know about conditions. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We are not down here looking up the boys espe¬ 
cially, but we are looking up the conditions which prevail to see if 
anything should be changed. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Of course you know, being a fourth class man, that 
hazing has prevailed here during the present school year—or what is 
called hazing—to a considerable extent, commencing last September. 
Is that within your knowledge? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you been hazed some? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Severe hazing, or moderate? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Moderate, I have found it, always. 

The Chairman. Have you endeavored to respect the rates and 
rules made by the upper classes? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Generally, sir. Sometimes I have vio¬ 
lated them, but not very often. 

The Chairman. Occasionally one would slip your mind,, and you 
were hazed a little? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Sometimes; yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


97 


The Chairman. That is about the extent of it. Do the boys in 
your class like being sent under the table, and sent on their heads, 
and being made to hang upon lockers, and all of those things, or do 
they do it feeling that that is the way other classes have done here 
and that they are rather called upon to do it ^ 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not suppose they do it out of pure 
joy of doing it, but merely, as you say, that the other classes have 
done it. 

The Chairman. They feel that it is rather a necessity. Do the 
fourth class men understand that if they are obstreperous about it, 
and refuse to carry out these requirements of the upper classes, that 
it means they must fight ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. They do not understand that? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Wliat would happen to a boy in your class if he 
refused to obey the rules? 

Mr. Gregg. He is in the third class, is he not? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I am in the fourth class. 

Mr. Gregg. Yes; that is right. 

The Chairman. What would happen? You say you do not do 
these things for the joy of doing them; not as mere pleasantries. 
What induces you to do them? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Refusal to do so would mean either more 
hazing, of a pronounced type, or if you should refuse to take that, it 
would mean the comparative ignoring of the midshipman who 
refused. You would be ignored, not particularly by your own class, 
but by the upper classes, and you would probably get the worst of 
everything that they could possibly do. They would do it in a mean 
way. It would not be hazing, but they would get the best of you, 
practically. 

The Chairman. You came in last September? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Last July, sir. 

The Chairman. You came to the school last July, and the upper 
classes returned to the school last September? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Part of them last September, but the 
most of them October 15. 

The Chairman. They were away on the cruise? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And since that time hazing has been used, gener¬ 
ally, for refusal to obey rates and regulations. If you did not obey, 
you were hazed. That was the punishment that was inflicted? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir—not always physical hazing. 

The Chairman. You do not know, then, unless you have heard of 
it, of the practice that prevailed before hazing came in, that if rates 
were not obeyed the boys in the fourth class were compelled to fight, 
and if they should refuse to fight they were considered cowards and 
ostracized by the opinion of the school. Was that before your time 
here? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not think that is understood now, 
sir. 

The Chairman. It has not been while you have been in? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-7 


I 


98 


PIAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Hazing is now used as the punishment for refusal 
to obey the rates? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Instead of being compelled to fight? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I have known of no case this year of any¬ 
one being compelled to fight. 

The Chairman. I think that is true, so far as I know. What is the 
opinion of the boys in your class, Mr. Wilkinson, as to the righteous¬ 
ness and propriety of hazing, as a principle, applied to a school ? Do 
they think it is a good practice and one that ought to be maintained, 
or do they think it is a bad practice? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think the majority of them are in 
favor of maintaining it, sir. 

The Chairman. Maintaining hazing? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the boys in your class understand that it is 
against the law of the country in which they live to have hazing at 
Annapolis ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. They are not so much in favor of retain¬ 
ing hazing, sir, but they look upon it as probably all other classes 
have done, that there ought to be some way of restraining the new 
class. 

The Chairman. Kestraining them from what? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Well, when they come here, they get to 
working on the principles of the place—flying off at a tangent. 

The Chairman. If you had not been hazed, what depredations 
would you have committed during the time you have been here ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Well, I do not know that I would have 
committed any depredations, but I might have made myself objec¬ 
tionable. I do not say that I would, but I might possibly have made 
myself objectionable to some one in the upper classes in a way which 
would have been resented by them. 

The Chairman. Are each of you boys furnished with a copy of the 
rules for the interior regulation of the academy? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir; one for each room—two boys 
to a room. 

The Chairman. One copy for two boys? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That states in great detail, does it not, what your 
conduct shall be every hour of the day? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you not think if you made yourself familiar 
with these rules which are laid down under authority of Congress and 
under the law, through the superintendent—if you have got so that 
you were familiar with these rules to a number of hundreds, and 
endeavored to carry them out, that that would regulate your conduct 
pretty thoroughly from morning until night ? For instance, you are 
required to get up at 6 o’clock in the morning, are you not? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. By the rules? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not need, to be hazed by somebody here, 
in order to get up. It is one of the rules of the academy? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


99 


The Chairman. Then each half hour during the day what you 
shall do is laid down in the rules, right along dl day, is it not? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Let us see. I think it is on page 64—the gun 
fires in the piorning at reveille at 6 o’clock? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is what gets you up; that is the signal 
to you to get up? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not need to be hazed to do that? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It is a regulation of the academy. You are 
required to do it ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then you have fifteen minutes in which you are 
to stow away your hammocks- 

Midshipman Wilkinson. That is on shipboard, sir. That is 
on the Santee^ I think, that you are reading there. 

The Chairman. Yes; this is the summer practice. 1 have gotten 
the wrong page. Well, 1 think they are regulated about as punctu¬ 
ally here. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. That is on the Santee^ 

The Chairman. That is when they are on there for punishment? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. Page 26 is the one you are 
looking for. 

The Chairman. Page 26. You are required to get up, by the 
rules, at 6 o’clock, and the first call for the morning roll call is at 
6.35. The morning roll call is three minutes later, (6.38), and break¬ 
fast is immediately after the roll call. These rules here detail 
exactly what you shall do ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Every hour and every minute of the day? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not need to be hazed in order to have 
you carr}^ out these requirements of the academy? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And the law of the United States? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You boys are being educated by the United 
States, at the expense of the United States, at a school here pro¬ 
vided by your country, to be officers in the naval 'service. One of 
the most important duties to which a man can be assigned by his 
country is to be performed by 3 mu boys. You are to be put in 
charge of property of great value and the lives of a great many 
men. In times of danger very much may depend upon a single 
officer in that service. Hence it is held in high honor and high 
credit. You commence here as boys to carry out the orders of the 
United States. These are orders of the United States enacted 
through your superintendent. The next thing after roll call is 
breakfast. Is there any time during the breakfast hour, Mr. Wilk¬ 
inson, when you think the boys should be hazed in order to make 
them do their duty here to their country as midshipmen and as 
future naval officers? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir; I do not suppose there is. 



100 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


But there might be some restraint necessary. If people should 
come here from outlying districts they might make themselves 
objectionable at the table, but I suppose that could be effected by 
just going and speaking to them about it. 

The Chairman. Let me cite an example. 1 understand that the 
etiquette which prevails in good society prevents ladies and gentle¬ 
men from eating pie, we will say, with a knife. Some boy comes 
in from a remote, wild part of the country, we will say from up in 
western New York [Laughter.] Perhaps he has lived back 
from the village, and his chances for education along these lines have 
been few. He may be a poor boy, who has had to work pretty hard 
to get the necessary education to enable him to pass the examination 
and get into this institution. He may have had no opportunity 
to acquire knowledge along the lines of table etiquette. The 
boy comes in here with the rest of you and they bring him in, we 
will say, some pie to the table. He uses his knife in cutting it up 
and putting it into his mouth. The boys who have had better 
opportunities, who have been more fortunate in life, notice that 
and consider it a very great breach of table etiquette and decorum, 
as perhaps it would be from that standpoint. You have cadet 
officers there, have you not ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. This boy is unconsciously doing that which is 
offensive to the other boys, and not with any intent, but uncon¬ 
sciously and unintentionally. Do you think it would be very 
humiliating to that boy, and perhaps wound his feelings very deeply, 
if the boys around him immediately should roughly call his attention 
to this unintentional breach of etiquette? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think it would, sir. I have never 
known of any case of that kind having occurred at the moment. 
If anything is said about it it is said in private to him. 

The Chairman. Would not the kinder way be—and the kind 
way, I think, is the way that gentlemen always use if they are able 
to—would not the kina way be to have the cadet officer in charge 
call his attention to any little breaches of table etiquette privately, so 
that he could correct them, as he doubtless would, and by observing 
those that have had better chances, and not to wound his feelings 
and humiliate him by having it called to his attention publicly? 
Would the other be tlie better way? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. As I have said, I do not 
know of any occasion when it has been called to his attention publicly. 

The Chairman. I understood you to suggest that there might be 
such action? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I was suggesting that as a possibility, 
that such an occasion might arise, and somebody might do it; but 
I should not regard it, as you say, as gentlemanly. 

The Chairman. Do you not think it could be done in an orderly 
way, in compliance with the regulations, without tlie necessity 
of any one of the boys volunteering to act as his teacher in etiquette, 
and to call it to his attention and force it upon him by some practice 
of hazing if necessary? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, evp in the matter of table etiquette 
there seems to be no necessity for hazing. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


101 


Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It can just as well be done in what we call a 
gentlemanly manner without hurting his feelings along the line 
of the rules of the Naval Academy in the proper way? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where else does it occur to you that hoys should 
be hazed, and what other part of their duties here require it? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I can say this, sir, that often it is 
resorted to by a midshipman of the upper class, who is not a cadet 
officer, and who observes some disorder or some little petty infrac¬ 
tion of the regulations, and he would rather do that than to give 
the boy who has done it much more trouble by reporting it—disorder 
in the hall, for instance. 

The Chairman. That is, the cadet officer, instead of- 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I said one who is not a cadet officer. 

The Chairman. Oh, one who is not a cadet officer? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are not the cadet officers supposed to be—one of 
them—in charge all the time, at all places? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir; not at all places. 

The Chairman. In the mess room? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. In the mess hall; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Wherever you are, is not a cadet officer sup¬ 
posed to be in charge? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. But he is not in a place here where 
he can see everything. Quite naturally, what disorder there is would 
be done where he could not see it. 

The Chairman. Then your idea is that the hazing is sometimes 
resorted to to suppress other disorders? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Petty disorders not seen hy the cadet 
officers; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you not think the result has been, even if 
that was the intention, and it was done in good faith, to make still 
greater disorder than would otherwise have existed? Has not the 
result been rather disastrous to the student body of the academy? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Well, speaking for our class, I do not 
think so, sir. 

The Chairman. You think your class is- 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not think our class has suffered 
very much on account of this. 

The Chairman. Have you not been broken up quite a good deal 
during the last few months ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Have not a good many of your class been called 
before the court-martial and the investigating committee? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, but it has not suffered very much 
from it. 

The Chairman. Has it not taken their time, when their time has 
been fully occupied by their studies, or ought to have been? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. It takes their time in this way: It 
takes off time from their studies, but when they are absent from 
such studies they are neither graded one way or the other. The 
marks are just ignored for that day, so that you do not lose much 
after all. ^ 



102 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. That is, there is no mark for being absent? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. There is no mark for being absent. 

The Chairman. But you cannot take away the loss of the time, 
which may show itself in your examination, and result in your not 
passing, as I understand has been the case with a very large number 
during this examination ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. A larger number than for yf great many years. 
You spend a good deal of time, do you not, talking over these matters 
together ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think so; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then has not the result of this hazing epidemic 
here been that the classes have all been injured by it, in loss of time, 
in being disturbed in their studies, and in following out their duties? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. They have, in that way, sir; but I 
thought you meant that to suppress the petty disorder would lead 
to greater petty disorders. Or course when you consider the great 
upheaval it has caused, that is more of an upheaval than any disorder. 

The Chairman. I meant just that, that by reason of the practice 
called hazing, by reason of the fact that upper classmen have taken 
upon themselves unauthorized responsibility of inflicting punish¬ 
ment of various kinds on the lower class men, instead of making less 
disorder, as you suggest, it has resulted in very much greater disorder 
and a severe loss to all the classes in time and standing, and in the 
estimation of the country? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is true, is it not? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the boys in your class generally know that 
the laws of the country, the laws passed by Congress, absolutely 
prohibit these practices and inflict dismissal upon those who are 
guilty of them? 

Midsliipman Wilkinson. I think so, sir. 

The Chairman. You think all of them understand it, or do some 
of them think it is a regulation of the academy? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think they all understand that it is 
against regulations, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they all understand that it is a law of the 
country ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not know that any of them have 
given very serious thought to that, sir, because they understand 
that the penalty is quite as serious under the regulations, because 
it is dismissal. The regulations here, of course, are the embodiment 
of the law of the country. 

The Chairman. Have they become acquainted with the fact, 
since the court-martial and the investigation committee started, 
and there has been so much attention paid to it because of an acci¬ 
dent at the commencement of the school year, that all forms of 
hazing are unlawful under the laws of the land, and are punishable 
by dismissal ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think we all understand that; but I 
do not think they have taken it seriously, because so few dismissals 
have resulted from hazing cases, either known or unknown. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 103 

The Chairman. They thought it was like other minor offenses 
mentioned in the regulations, a good many of them? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think if the cases had become known, 
probably dismissals would have resulted, but so many times it has 
been what might be called a miscarriage of legislation, and they did 
not regard them as very serious. 

The Chairman. Was there any feeling in your class during the 
past year that the officials of the academy, the authorities, the 
officers in charge of the academy, were not disposed to object to 
hazing unless it was severe physical hazing? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you ever know of an agreement of the classes 
with Admiral Brownson when he was here ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I had heard of it. 

The Chairman. You had heard of it. That was before you got 
here? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you understand that that agreement had been 
done away with? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you understand from that fact that the 
upper classes were at liberty to perform some of these acts of hazing 
if they were not physical and too severe? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. We understood that if they were doing 
this they were going against the regulations, but that they were not 
breaking their oaths, from which they had been released. Of course 
it is a different matter from a personal oath like that, given by the 
president of a class. It is an infraction of the regulations. 

The Chairman. You considered that agreement more in the nature 
of giving a personal word of honor? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think that is how it was understood, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose you thought that the general oath that 
was administered was a sort of swearing in to the service of the 
United States? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think that is the way it is considered. 
Some of them regarded it in that way, anyhow. I can not speak for 
the maj ority. 

The Chairman. Do you know, Mr. Wilkinson, or do the members 
of your class know, that the people of this country, who pay a great 
many millions of dollars to construct this academy, and to maintain 
it every year, are very strongly set against these practices of hazing ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think they do now, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they know tha^t the Congress of the United 
States, which has to make the annual appropriation in support of 
these schools and maintain them and build them up, is very strongly 
set against all these forms of hazing? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think they do, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they know that the practice of hazing here 
does the academy great injury; that it makes the people feel cross 
toward the academy and the students in it;^ that it makes the 
appropriations for Ihe academy less, and a feeling of anger against 
the whole institution in the minds of the people generally? Do they 
understand the feeling of the country about it? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not think they realize that, sir. 


104 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Your class has been hazed more or less—-mostly 
more, I guess—since about the 1st of October; or when did it com¬ 
mence, the first of September, or October? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. The first of September the hold-overs 
were back. 

Mr. Padgett. The school year began the 14th of October? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What classes were here the first of September 
besides the fourth class ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think there were a few members who 
held over for conduct or deficiency in study. 

The Chairman. The other classes were all off on the cruise ? 

Midslnpman Wilkinson. Part of them were on leave during Sep¬ 
tember. All the classes were on the cruise during the period from 
June to September, and then a month’s leave was granted to the 
upper classes. 

The Chairman. Who was hazing the fourth class during September ? 
The few who were left here for deficiency in studies, or who were 
serving out terms of imprisonment within the grounds for violations 
of some kind ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. There were no terms of imprisonment 
being served, but such as were held over for conduct, or merely what 
is called Frenching—being absent from the academy limits without 
permission, which carries with it a penalty of the loss of fifteen days’ 
leave. They are not restricted to the grounds, but they are attached 
to the Naval Academy for fifteen days in their leave. 

The Chairman. There were not enough of them here during Sep¬ 
tember to haze your whole class, which is very large? The general 
hazing commenced, I suppose, about the first of October? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not think it has been very much 
worse since the academic year opened. 

The Chairman. Practically, I suppose, all the members of the 
fourth class have been hazed to a greater or less degree? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Except those who belonged to the third 
class. 

The Chairman. And who had dropped back? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They were considered immune. Your class would 
be liable to hazing under the hazing system until the end of the 
school year, I suppose. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Until the end of the school year; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Hazing stopped how long ago? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think about two months ago. 

The Chairman. About the time the Branch-Meriwether fight 
occurred, or after that? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. It was about the time of the football 
game—the 2d of December. 

The Chairman. What was the reason it stopped ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. The board of investigation was begin¬ 
ning to make a thorough investigation. 

The Chairman. The board was convened as a result of what? 
Was that convened as a result of the fight or because of the case 
of the boy who was hazed and went to the hospital—Kimbrough? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


105 


Midshipman Wilkinson. It was in session before the Kimbrough 
affair, sir. It was convened, I think, after the fight. 

The Chairman. Yes, the fight, I guess, is what started it up. 
Then your class was hazed somewhat during September, during 
October, and a part of November. You have not been hazed since 
and will not be for the rest of the school year. Then vou will get 
off pretty easy. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Wilkinson, what is your own opinion, in view 
of the feeling of Congress and of the people of the United States 
about hazing, about the propriet}^ of carrying it on here at the 
academy ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. My personal opinion is, sir, that I would 
like to see it stopped right away for good. . 

The Chairman. What do you think the members of your class 
would say? How do they feel about it? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Well, I could not say very much, because 
there are all sorts of divided opinions among them. Some, I sup¬ 
pose, are for the system of hazing, and others want just a sort of 
superiority and also the right to rebuke for some things. The 
opinions range all the way between those two extremes and the 
other extreme of omitting it entirely. 

The Chairman. Is there some feeling among some of them that 
they, having been hazed to some extent, are being cheated out of 
a right if they are not permitted to haze the next class? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. There may be, sir. 

The Chairman. The present law, Mr. Wilkinson, I suppose you and 
your classmates are familiar with. The present act of Congress 
under which the superintendent is proceeding—there was another 
act before this, but this will give 3^11 the substance of it—is an act 
passed March 3, 1903: 

That the superintendent of the Naval Academy shall make such rules, to be approved 
by the Secretaiy of the Navy, as will effectually prevent the practice of hazing, and any 
cadet found guilty of participating in or encouraging or countenancing such practice shall 
be suimnaril}' expelle.d from the academy and shall not thereafter be reappointed to the 
corps of cadets or be eligible for appointment as a commissioned officer in the ^Army or 
Navy or Marine Corps until two years after the graduation of the class of which he was a 
member. 

That is the law. It leaves the superintendent of this academy no 
discretion whatever. If any case of hazing arises, under the law 
of the United States as it stands to-da}^, the superintendent must 
bring it before a court-martial, and if there is evidence to show that 
a cadet has been guilty of hazing he must be expelled under this 
law. There is no discretion and there is no grade in it. There is 
no difference between standing a man on his head once or 100 times, 
between having a man bring up breakfast and making him hang on 
the locker until he is exhausted. Hazing is what Congress has pro¬ 
hibited by law, and cadets who are found guilty of it must be sum¬ 
marily expelled from this institution. That is the law under which 
this court-martial has been proceeding. There are a very large 
number of other cadets who have not been before the court-martial 
who were liable for hazing. That we all understand. Under the 
law as it stands the superintendent of this academy must keep a 
court-martial assembled and at work so long as he can find a single 


106 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


student who is guilty of hazing in this institution, no matter whether 
it turns out 10, 20, 50, 100 students or every student in this academy. 
That is the law as it now stands. My opinion is that the people of 
the United States, if we can judge from the press, are thoroughly 
in favor of the enforcement of that law. I do not think there is 
any doubt about it. I think they are willing to have every cadet 
in this institution turned out and start in anew, if it must be done, 
in order to stop this practice of hazing. Congress, not feeling 
unfriendly to the boys here, feeling friendly to them, and desiring 
to do that which would be best for them and for the country, has 
asked the President of the United States to have the court-martial 
stopped temporarily until conditions could be inquired into here— 
until we could find out what we may expect in the future. If the 
students who are now here are determined, in defiance of the law of 
their country, to continue the practice of hazing, then I think there 
is no doubt that Congress will say to the superintendent ‘‘Let your 
court-martial go on until every cadet that can be convictyd shall 
be turned out of the academy.” I think that is the situation as it 
now exists. If Congress finds that the boys here in the academy 
are paying some attention to the laws under which they live, and 
to the sentiment of the people who support the institution, and are 
themselves desirous of doing away with hazing, and are willing to 
take hold and create an opinion among the student body against 
it, to discountenance it and discourage it—if they find that spirit 
among the boys here, I think, I should hope, that Congress as the 
result of the report of this committee might say to the superin¬ 
tendent: “If there are any down there that have broken the law, 
they must be convicted; but we will change the law so that for the 
slighter degrees of hazing, perhaps unintentional forms of hazing, 
they need not be dismissed from the institution.” 

Whether any change in the law can be made along that line, in 
my judgment, depends very much upon what we can report to Con¬ 
gress as to the feeling and the disposition and intention for the 
mture of the boys that are in this school. I think, Mr. Wilkinson, 
the classes above you, so far as we have been able to get knowledge 
of it, have determined to discountenance, discourage, and do away 
with hazing so far as they possibly can. I think the class that will 
be the first class will do that, from what I understand, and I think 
the other classes will. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I could say this, sir; If those two 
classes do away with it as far as they can, our class will do so,'because 
naturally we would do it to follow them. They are the higher 
classes. Often the first class exerts a great deal of influence over 
all the lower classes, and they could influence such members of our 
class as might want hazing to quit it. I think the larger body of 
us by that time, if not already, would be disposed to be against it. 

The Chairman. Do your classes have the right now, under the 
rules of the academy, to assemble for the purpose of talking over 
such a matter as that, if you desired to, or for other purposes? 
What are the rules about that ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Well, the meeting would have to be 
called with the permission, I believe, of the officer in charge. 

The Chairman. You have to first make application and obtain 
permission ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 107 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir; from the officer in charge. 

The Chairman. And state, I suppose, the purpose of the meeting? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. The purpose of the meeting; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What way would you suggest whereby the com¬ 
mittee can find out, so that they can definitely report back to the 
rest of the committee as to the feelings of your class and the intentions 
of your class on the subject of hazing? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not know of any way now, except 
by calling together a large number of the individual members, 
because we have no class organization. 

The Chairman. How would you make application to the officer in 
charge, if you desired to have a meeting, having no class organiza¬ 
tion? I assume that in the other classes that comes through the 
president. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Some member would go to the officer in 
charge and ask permission. 

The Chairman. He would ask permission for the rest? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You would get some of them together? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir; they would read out a notice in 
the mess hall and probably all of them would stay. 

Mr. Loud. They could choose a chairman for the meeting. 

The Chairman. The}^ could appoint one of their number; yes. 
You feel pretty sure, Mr. Wilkinson, that if the upper classes sin¬ 
cerely desired to do away with hazing that your class would follow 
suit ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think so, sir. They certainly would 
while the other classes were still in the academy; that is, even up 
to their second class year. And when they came to the first class 
year I am pretty sure they would follow the example. 

The Chairman. You knew, did you not, at the time hazing was 
very prevalent at West Point five years ago, when an investigation 
was made by Congress, that all of the classes there voluntarily, of 
their own accord, voted to do away with hazing? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir; I did not know that. 

The Chairman. And that they expressed themselves against it, 
formally, and hazing has been done away with except for a sporadic 
case now and then, ever since. That was the action that was taken 
at that time. I think it had a very excellent influence upon Congress 
and upon the country. The committee will be in session here all 
of next week, Mr. Wilkinson. If you can find any way of conveying 
to us the opinions of your class and the intentions of your class upon 
the subject of hazing at any time before the end of next week we 
would be very glad to receive it. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Weil, I will tell you. If the other upper 
classes, the second and third classes, intend to hold meetings on this 
subject, the fourth class will hold a meeting. 

The Chairman. I do not know what their intentions are. We have 
been assured by representatives of the classes that the sentiment of 
their classes is now against hazing, and strongly against it, and that 
their intention is to discourage it and discontinue it. What means 
they will adopt for bringing that about, we do not know. It may 
be in the shape of a meeting. I do not know about that. Rut you 


108 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


can keep track of their proceedings and their sentiments, and govern 
yourselves accordingly, as you wish. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. I will try to find out all I 
can for you, sir. I think if any action is taken, as you have said, 
by the second and third classes, if they are determined to do away 
with hazing, I think the fourth class will undoubtedly follow their 
lead, and when they become the third class—but if you wish me to, 
I will find out the individual opinions now. 

Mr. Dawson. I want to ask this gentleman a question or two. 

The Chairman. Very well. 

Mr. Dawson. Primarily, is it your understanding that the two 
principal qualifications of an officer in the Army or Navy are, first, 
courage; and second, obedience? Is that your idea? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir; I think so. 

Mr. Dawson. You are being trained here so that you may be put 
in a position where vou will be over men—where you will expect 
obedience to your orders. Is that correct? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Now, is not the first duty of yourself and the others 
who are being similarly trained to learn that obedience yourselves— 
that is, not simply obedience to regulations, but obedience to the 
law of your country ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Then is it not also a prime requisite that you dis¬ 
courage anything which is cowardly and encourage anything which 
will make courageous men of you ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I think so, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Having been through this practice of hazing, do you 
think it is cowardly on the part of an upper class man to assume 
authority to coerce you into doing something that would be humiliat¬ 
ing to you? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir; I do not think it is cowardly. 

Mr. Dawson. You do not thiuk it is cowardly? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. You would not think it w^as cowardly for one man 
w^ho was in a certain position to take advantage of that position to 
bully another, we will say? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. AYell, it might be cowardly in that 
respect; yes, sir. 

^Ir. Dawson. And is it not true that some of the hazing which 
has been developed by this board of investigation has been a species 
of bullying, in a pretty exaggerated degree ? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I have not followed it up very closely, 
sir, in reading the testimony, but I have heard of very few cases of 
that sort. 

Mr. Dawson. Do the boys appreciate—I should think they would, 
having gone through it—that the country feels that any treatment 
that is harsh to the young cadet is conduct that is considered dis¬ 
paceful by the people? Do you think the boys appreciate that 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not think they appreciate it fully, 
sir. They did not before this. I think they do how, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. That is about all, I think, Mr. Chairman. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


109 


Mr. Padgett. I have one other question, if you please, Mr. Wilkin¬ 
son. If the members of the fourth class were allowed to select for 
themselves a course of procedure without the fear of punishment, 
either to carry on hazing or to discontinue it, and it were left to a 
vote of the fourth class to determine that matter for themselves, 
with all the light that is before them now and with the fidl understand¬ 
ing they have here at this time, what do you think they would do? 
I say, if there should be no punishment for hazing, and if it were 
left to them to determine as a matter of practice and for their own 
determination, what do you think your class would vote for—to 
continue or to abolish hazing? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. 1 could not say very fully, sir, but I 
think they would vote to abolish it, because all this to do has got 
everybody to thinking now, and they are thinking pretty seriously, 
the way the country is looking on at the thing. 

Mr. Padgett. I am very glad to hear that. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you not think the incoming fourth class for next 
year would be right glad to have it done away with? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. I have one more question. Has the opinion of 
the present class with regard to hazing had any material change 
from the date of your entrance up to the present time—that is, 
were you is favor of hazing when you came in? Did you think it 
w^as a good thing then? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I do not know that we considered it 
was a good thing, but we knew it was coming, and we did not think 
very much about the ethics of it. 

Mr. Dawson. You were sort of resigned? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes; we were ready to stand by; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. It was a question of ‘‘grin and endure,’’ was it not? 

^lidshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. There have been no class fights between any member 
of your class and any member of the third class, have there, this year? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I heard that there was to be one, but 
it was not a class fight in the strict sense of the word. 

The Chairman. A personal difference, was it, between two boys? 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We will probably ask you to come back next week, 
and if you have any further information to give us about the feeling 
of your class we shall be glad to have it. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. I shall try to find out what the feeling 
of the majority is. 

The Chairman. If you will do so we shall be very glad to have 
the information. 

Midshipman Wilkinson. Yes, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN ARCHIBALD HUGH DOUGLAS, 

U. S. NAVY. 

The Chairman. You are Mr. Douglas, the president of the second 
class? 

Midshipman Douglas. It is the third class, but it will be the 
second class. 

The Chairman. As soon as you move up at the end of the school 
year? 


110 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; we consider ourselves the second 
class. 

The Chairman. The committee is here as a subcommittee of the 
Naval Committee of the House of Representatives, to report upon 
the conditions here concerning the managemeiit and discipline of 
the academ}^, particularly with reference to its bearing on hazing. 
The President of the United States and the Secretary of the Navy 
have directed the superintendent of the Naval Academy to have 
anyone connected with the institution come before the committee 
that may desire, and you have therefore been requested to come in. 
We desire to have you take the usual oath as to your testimony. 

Midshipman Douglas. Very well, sir. 

Midshipman Archibald Hugh Douglas, U. S. Navy, being first 
duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Douglas. Archibald Hugh Douglas. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

Midshipman Douglas. Tennessee. 

The Chairman. How many members are there in your class? 

Midshipman Douglas. About 240 now, sir. There were about 
245 at the beginning of the year. 

The Chairman. We have been over the testimony taken by the 
investigating committee, and also the testimony that was given 
before the court-martial, so that we are very familiar with the 
situation, especially as it relates to hazing here. We are pretty 
familiar with the number involved, and with the different practices, 
and with the number that have been hazed, also the hazers. It 
seems to be the fact that since the commencement of the present 
school year hazing, in a greater or less degree—that is, in a severe 
or mild form, some form of hazing—has been very prevalent in the 
academy. Is that your understanding? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; it has been going on. 

The Chairman. During the school year which preceded this one, 
was there very much hazing here ? 

Midshipman Douglas. There was some; yes, sir. I did not see 
very much of the hazing. I was in the hospital most of last year. 

The Chairman. But you know pretty thoroughly, I suppose, what 
goes on around the academy? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did it exist to an}^ such extent as it has during 
the present year? 

Midshipman Douglas. I believe it has always existed since I have 
been in the academy about the same. 

The Chairman. Did you know anything about an agreement that 
was made between the classes and Admiral Brownson in the last 
two years? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know whether it was the second 
class, the present first class, or not, but most of them gave their 
word of honor that they would not haze, I believe. 

The Chairman. What was then the first class gave their word of 
honor ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes. 

The Chairman. And what was then the second class did the same? 

Midshipman Douglas. I think it was. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Ill 


The Chairman. And the third class—what was the third class 
then ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes. 

The Chairman. The evidence before the committee seems to be 
that all those classes gave to Admiral Brownson their personal word 
of honor that they would discontinue any physical form of hazing. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And the evidence further is that they were 
released from that agreement. 

Midshipman Douglas. That is the way, I think, it was. 

The Chairman. At the beginning of the present school year? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Now, Mr. Douglas, during the term which that 
agreement covered, was there an}^ practical cessation of hazing— 
that is, of hazing generally, while there may have been instances 
here and there? 

Midshipman Douglas. You mean while Admiral Brownson was 
here? 

The Chairman. During the period covered by his agreement 
with the classes, and during the time he had their word of honor 
that they would not haze physically, did it stop ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know whether 3 "ou would call 
it hazing or not. There was no physical hazing. There was a mild 
form of what they call hazing. 

The Chairman. During that period there was what they call 
'Tunning,’' and "rates,” which prevailed to quite an extent? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes. 

The Chairman. And practices which we call "fagging.” That is, 
the performance of menial services by lower class men for upper 
class men ? 

Midshipman Douglas. T es, sir. 

The Chairman. What in English schools is called "fagging?” 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes. 

The Chairman. All those things prevailed? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. But physical forms of hazing, putting men on 
their heads, and the "crew,” and the "rabbit dance,” and all the 
various forms in which hazing is known as physical hazing were sub¬ 
stantially discontinued during that period as you understand it? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any class fight since the com¬ 
mencement of this year? 

Midshipman Douglas. Fights between different class men? 

The Chairman. What are called class fights. You understand 
the term, I believe. 

Midshipman Douglas. There is a distinction, you know. They 
make it a personal matter, sometimes a personal affair. Then the 
class fight is a fight between one man of one class and another man 
from another class. There may be something they disagree on. 

The Chairman. It is where the selection is made by the class, or 
the president, or the representative of the class ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. For example, a fight between a fourth class man 


112 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


for refusing to recognize some rate, or refusing to perform some 
requirements, with an upper class men? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; that is a class fight. 

The Chairman. Between fourth class men and upper class men? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where the upper class men is selected by the 
president, or by the class, in some way? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And usually on account of his proficiency in the 
manly art. That would be a class fight, as I understand it. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. The Meriwether-Branch fight 
was one personal fight. 

The Chairman. A personal fight may occur between members of 
one class? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I am talking about class fighting, as that is under¬ 
stood. Do you know whether there has been any of it in the present 
year, since the first of September? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I never have known of any. I 
never appointed a man of my class to do it. 

The Chairman. How many were there in the last school year that 
you know of? 

Midshipman Douglas. The year previous? 

The Chairman. Yes, sir; the last school year. One hundred? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know of that many? 

The Chairman. Forty? 

Midshipman Douglas. I know of five, myself; but I suppose there 
were several times that fights may have gone on when I would not 
hear of them. 

The Chairman. I am afraid you do not take the newspapers here. 
We seem to be able to hear of a great many more than that. 

Midshipman Douglas. These are the only fights that I recall 
myself, that I know of. 

Mr. Padgett. He is speaking of fights in his particular class. 

Mr. Dawson. Were those five in which your class was concerned 
as one party? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your class last year was the fourth class? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You were- 

Mr. Dawson. The hazee. 

The Chairman. You were at the seat of trouble last year? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you president of the class last year? 

Midshipman Douglas. We did not have any president. 

The Chairman. No; you were not entitled to an organization then. 
All the fights that you can recall of members of the fourth class last 
year are five who took part in class fights ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I mean I suppose I could name those. 
There may have been ten. 

The Chairman. We are not asking for names of any of them. 

Midshipman Douglas. There were not over ten, that I know of. 

The Chairman. We do not want any names; we want the in¬ 
stances. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


113 


Midshipman Douglas. That is, in my class. I do not know any- 
thing at all about the other classes. There were three other classes, 
and I do not know anything about their fights. 

The Chairman. Do not most of the class fights occur between 
menibers of the fourth class and of the upper classes ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; usually the third and fourth 
classes. 

The Chairman. That is where most of the class fights come from? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know of many other fights outside of these 
fights last year? I suppose a good many encounters take place in a 
large body like this—personal fights. 

Midshipman Douglas. During what we call the plebe summer the 
fourth class stays three months while the others are on leave. I 
think I was connected with, refereed, or saw eight or ten, I believe. 
These were merely personal matters. 

The Chairman. I suppose, Mr. Douglas, that class fights almost 
invariably arise from the refusal of the lower class man to perform 
some duty, or to observe some rate prescribed by the upper class men ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; if he refuses to acknowledge cer¬ 
tain facts that the upper class men considered- 

The Chairman. If he refused to acknowledge their authority, or to 
perform duties required of him by the upper class men, or to observe 
the rates? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The class fight is the instrument used to enforce 
the carrying out of the regulations of the upper classes—whatever 
they may choose to make ? 

Midshipman Douglas. It usually is; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They say to the fourth class men: '‘You must do 
this or fight.’' If the lower class man refuses to fight, then I suppose 
he loses caste among the students in the school? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know that he- 

The Chairman. He possibly may be obliged to take a sojourn in 
Coventry ? 

Midshipman Douglas. He is probably put in Coventry. 

The Chairman. Very frequently the opinion of his own classmates 
would be against him, I suppose, if he refused to fight ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes; I think there is a pretty strong spirit 
against this thing here. 

The Chairman. It is not considered good practice to permit a 
fourth class man to win in fights, is it ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It encourages a spirit of insubordination in the 
young which should be discouraged ? 

Midshipman Douglas. If he should win he probably would have 
to fight again. 

The Chairman. Therefore, in the upper class, except that in the 
matter of weight, it shall be fairly even, I suppose a man who is a 
skillful exponent of the art of fighting and who is in good training and 
a strong fighter, would be selected to be put against him ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Usually a man of his own weight is selected, 
but a man who has been here a year and has gone on a cruise is gener¬ 
ally in much better physical condition. 

H. Doc. 690. 59-1-8 




114 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. So that it rarely happens that a fourth class man 
wins in the fight, on account of lack of skill and knowledge of fighting ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know of any case where he ever 
won. 

The Chairman. The Meriwether case was not a class fight? 

Midshipman Douglas. That was a personal matter. 

The Chairman. Your class was not hazed very much? 

Midshipman Douglas. Very little, compared with what it has 
been. We had a form of running, as it was called. They would 
speak to you, or something like that, and tell you to say something, 
but nothing physical. 

The Chairman. Your class had very little physical hazing? 

Midshipman Douglas. Very little—none at all. 

The Chairman. You have had exceptionally good fortune, then, 
in being enabled to escape it yourselves, and yet have been able to 
inflict a large dose on the lower class. 

Midshipman Douglas. I have never done any myself. 

The Chairman. I mean your class, as a whole, should be considered 
exceptionally fortunate in that respect. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Douglas, you know that the practice of hazing 
is forbidden, not only by the regulations of the academy, but is con¬ 
trary to the laws of the country? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; I think there was a law passed in 
1874. 

The Chairman. Yes, in 1874; but the severitv of it was increased 
in 1903. 

Midshipman Douglas. I did not know about that. 

The Chairman. The act of 1903 is— 

That the Superintendent of the Naval academy shall make such rules, to be approved by 
the Secretary of the Navy, as will effectually prevent the practice of hazing; and any 
cadet found guilty of participating in or encouraging or countenancing such practice shall 
be summarily expelled from the academy, and shall not thereafter be reappointed to the 
corps of cadets or be eligible for reappointment as a commissioned officer in the Arm^'^ or 
Navy or Marine Corps untU two years after the graduation of the class of Avhich he was a 
member. 

I suppose since the Meriwether fight, and since the convening of the 
board of investigation, and since the court-martial has been held, 
the attention of the student body here has been directed very sharply 
upon this question of hazing? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; it has been. 

The Chairman. And that it must have been discussed a good 
deal, as to the ethics of the practice? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. As to whatever merits there were in it, whatever 
good could be hoped to be gotten out of it, and also as to the bad 
results of the system? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It has been discussed a great deal among the stu¬ 
dents, has it not, within the last two or three months? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Does the student body here, as a whole, realize 
that Congress is very strongly opposed to hazing as a system, in any 
of its forms? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not think they realize it; no, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


115 


The Chairman. Do they realize that the public sentiment of the 
country at large is still stronger than that of Congress against it? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I do not think they realize that. 

The Chairman. They do not get the papers. That is the opinion 
of the press. That shows the feeling of the country on this subject. 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I think they know more about it 
outside, of what goes on here, than we do ourselves, in that line. 

The Chairman. What is your personal opinion about the system of 
hazing, Mr. Douglas? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know, sir. I think it is like it is 
in colleges. I believe in having rates—that is, certain customs— 
according to your advancement in the classes, but I am not very 
much in favor of what you call hazing. I never have done any 
myself, so that I have not had very much experience with it. 

The Chairman. You think that the students as they progress from 
one class to another higher class, and as they become older and higher 
class men, should have additional privileges over the lower class men, 
and that is called rates.^ 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; well, the regulations give you 
certain privileges over the others, such as liberty at certain times, 
and certain other privileges. 

The Chairman. The regulations themselves officially recognize 
certain privileges to the class men as they proceed toward graduation ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, in addition to those that are authorized or 
recognized by the authorities, you think there are some others that 
the upper class men are entitled to? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are there very many privileges? 

Midshipman Douglas. There are not any very serious things. 
They are small rates. 

The Chairman. The question about your boats, for example. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes. 

The Chairman. That is not a very large matter, yet you think 
that a man who has been here, and is now serving his last year, should 
have a little preference over the young men who are just coming in? 

Midship)man Douglas. Well, it is probably of more importance 
to a man in the first class that he should have the privilege of sailing 
than it is for a fourth classman. 

The Chairman. Do you understand that it is the tradition of this 
academy that seniors shall haze, themselves? That they themselves 
shall haze lower classmen? 

Midshipman Douglas. Tradition? I do not know, sir. It has 
always been the custom. 

The Chairman. For seniors to do it, or simply for the second and 
third classes to haze the fourth class ? 

Midshipman Douglas. You mean for the first class to haze the 
second class? 

The Chairman. I mean for the first class to haze the freshmen, 
the fourth classmen? 

Midshipman Douglas. I think as a rule very little has been done 
by the first class. 

The Chairman. There seems to have been considerable done dur- 
‘ ing the present year. 


116 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Some of the students rely upon what they call 
tradition. My understanding of the traditions of the academy was, 
that it was not considered proper for a first classman to haze a fourth 
classman; that it was done by the second and third classmen; and 
yet I notice that during the year here the code seems to have per¬ 
mitted a good deal of hazing by first classmen. 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know of any tradition like that, 
of upper classmen not hazing. 

The Chairman. Mr. Douglas, I think that during the history of 
our country the people of this country, at any rate, have believed 
that the code of honor among naval officers and naval officials has 
been very high. Whether we are mistaken or not, I think the coun¬ 
try, at least, has believed that the great bulk of officers of our Navy 
throughout our whole history have been manly, courageous men, 
who have stood very high in every way, and men whose code of honor 
was very high as a rule. I tliink that has been the history of the 
country. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We are now training in this school eight or nine 
hundred young men, who will go into the service of the country and 
of the Navy. I think the country is a good deal interested as to 
what sort of officers shall go out of this school into the Navy. I think 
the country is ver}^ strongly set against a practice which they think 
will deteriorate the class of men who go out of this school into the 
naval service of the United States. The people of the United States 
especially abhor cowardly actions. The people of the United States 
especially abhor those practices done by a superior to an inferior. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. WTth a tendency to humiliate him and to wound 
his feelings, and to show unjust and unauthorized authority over 
him. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think it is a manly thing to have a class 
fight in which some green boy from the country, who never has had 
any experience away from home, and who has had perhaps very few 
opportunities; who has had to study very hard to acquire sufiicient 
education to enter this academy, and to get an opportunity to enter 
it; who has had no opportunity to perfect himself in boxing or in 
athletic exercises; who knows very little about what would be ex¬ 
pected of a boy in a fight, and perhaps who has never had a fight— 
to take a boy of that kind, untrained, unskilled, and to put him up 
against a trained athlete, as many of the boys are after they have 
been here a year or two, after they have learned to box, and after 
their muscles are hardened by athletic exercises, after they have 
seen these fights take place and have watched them to their conclu¬ 
sion and know the points of advantage ? In other words, they start 
in with such inestimable advantage over this fourth class boy that 
you can see the conclusion in advance. It is a foregone conclusion 
that the fourth class boy has not one chance in fifty but what he will 
be defeated. I want to ask your opinion as to whether you think 
that is what Americans call fair pla}^, and the manly thing to do ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I do not think it is fair. It is 
merely a custom here, I think, that has passed down from class to 


HAZiNG AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 117 

class. It is merely a custom. I do not think it is at all fair to the 
fourth class. 

The Chairman. Do you not think it is rather a cowardly practice? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Every man should have a fair show, as we believe. 
We think it is exceedingly cowardly—at least the people, as far as I 
know, think it is; they used to tliink it was when I was a boy—for a 
large, strong, old boy to pitch onto some smaller boy, where it is 
certain that he can whip him. That was always considered cow¬ 
ardly, when I was a boy, and, as far as I know, it is now. A man can 
not get a reputation for courage by attacking those who are weaker 
than himself. That would be considered anywhere a cowardly prac¬ 
tice, would it not? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is not that the practice that prevails in class 
fighting, that in everything except weight, every advantage is on 
the side of the i^per classman? 

Midshipman Douglas. Usually; in fact it is always. They are 
usually equal in weight, but I suppose the upper classman is in better 
physical condition, probably from the training he has had at the 
i^aval Academy, and on the cruise. 

The Chairman. Mr. Douglas, do you know of any benefits that 
come to the students here by means of these practices that maintain 
under the system of hazing and running? 

Midshipman Douglas. Any benefits resulting? 

The Chairman. Yes; to the students? 

Midshipman Douglas. Why, I suppose it teaches you to obey 
your superiors, to have more regard for your superior officer. I 
suppose in that way it does some good. Otherwise probably it 
does not. 

The Chairman. This is a book called Articles for the Interior 
Discipline and Government; you have it, I suppose? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You have noticed the regulations here- 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know them very well; no, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose you have read them over once? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir. 

The Chairman. How do you avoid getting demerits under these 
regulations, unless you know them? 

Midshipman Douglas. You know more of the regulations by 
custom than in any other way. We read the more important ones. 
I know most of them. 

The Chairman. Sometimes you refer to this where there is some 
question about the regulations? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There seem to be a good many hundred of them 
in here. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It seems to me that a boy gomg through here, a 
young fellow coming in, if he obeys all of the rules for his conduct 
that are laid down in this book, would find the twenty-four hours 
pretty well taken up, without taking on a lot of additional rules 
prescribed by each one of 240 fellows m the class above him? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 



118 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. What useful trait does it develop in an officer of 
the Navy for an upper classman to require a freshman to come 
around in full uniform every morning at 5 o’clock and open his win¬ 
dow, and lay out his clothes, wind up his clock, and perform such 
services in the room as may be required ? 

Midshipman Douglas. It does not do him any good at all. I 
was not thinking of that when I said that it would do some good in 
the service. I was thinking that if an upper classman speaks to 
him and tells him to do a thing, he should do it; not in the line of 
physical exercise, such as opening a window, or coming and waking 
him up. 

The Chairman. Give us an example of something that an upper 
classman would tell a lower classman to do which you think would 
be for his benefit. 

Midshipman Douglas. If a fourth class man was sitting at table 
and lounging over the table and was not using his knife and fork 
properly, or made some mistake in etiquette or conversation, or a 
slight mistake in other matters, I think it a very good suggestion 
that an upper class man should correct him. Lots of midshipmen 
come here who have not had a great deal of experience in social lines, 
I suppose. A great many of them come from the country and some¬ 
one has to tell them and direct them in their etiquette. 

The Chairman. How do they go about that? Does anyone who 
happens to sit around him volunteer for the service ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; if anyone sees him make a mis¬ 
take at the table, anyone would correct him. 

The Chairman. How would they do it? 

Midshipman Douglas. They would just tell him what was right 
and what was wrong. I suppose there are some boys who come from 
the country, and some in the fourth class, who use their knives 
instead of their forks. That would be a great mistake, after a person 
has finished here and become a naval officer, to go to any social 
affair and make a mistake like that. I think that would be a dis¬ 
grace to the service. 

The Chairman. Did you ever go up to Admiral Brownson’s house, 
or up to the admiral’s house—whoever the admiral happened to be— 
and take lunch or dinner? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose the young men are invited up there 
sometimes, are they not? 

Midshipman Douglas. I have been up there with a party. I 
think they invited the football team up there, but I have never been 
to dinner with him as one person. 

The Chairman. Some of the upper class men, I am informed, are 
occasionally invited there for some purpose—to dinner or to luncheon? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You know they have a good many forks at dinners 
nowadays—five or six. It requires a liberal education to know just 
what to do with each one of them. 

Midshipman Douglas. That is what I was referring to. 

The Chairman. If 3 mu and your fellow class men were up to 
Admiral Sands’s house some night to take dinner, and you made 
some error in selecting the proper fork, or some other little error— 
any infraction of table etiquette as it exists nowadays—what would 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 119 

you say to having a lieutenant of the Navy, who is your superior offi¬ 
cer, in the presence of the rest of the company, call your attention to 
the fact? Would that wound your sensibilities somewhat and hurt 
your feelings and make you feel humiliated ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; in the presence of the company 
I suppose it would. But here is a midshipman, where we all know 
each other, and I suppose it is altogether different. 

The Chairman. Yes; you all know each other there. 

Midshipman Douglas^ Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We will assume that you are a young man of intel¬ 
ligence, as you of course are. Would you not be likely to notice 
those things yourself? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And if you made a little error of that kind, being 
an observing young man, such as we expect to find here in the acad¬ 
emy, you would observe the conduct of others—I know I very fre- 
miently have to watch others in order to know that I am right—and 
tnen the next time you will know, and nobody has to humiliate you 
by speaking about it. And if you have failed to notice it, could it not 
be done by the lieutenant who has noticed the matter, by speaking to 
you quietly, so that you would feel he was your friend and wanted 
to help you? Would not that be a better way than for some one 
to speak up brusquely and call your attention to it? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Why would not the same rule apply in the mess 
room, where seven or eight hundred young men are from different 
points of the country—young men of a good deal of attainment 
along some line ? They may not have had an opportunity to perfect 
themselves on table etiquette, but all of them had had to study pretty 
hard to gain admission to the academy, and they are pretty well 
educated along a good many lines. Why would it not be proper for 
an upper class man who notices that to call his attention to it privately ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I suppose it would be. 

The Chairman. And give him an opportunity to correct himself, 
instead of speaking about it publicly and roughly in a way which 
certainly brings with it humiliation? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; I suppose it would be better. 

The Chairman. Do you think hazing would be necessary, of any 
description, to correct that boy and to teach him correct table 
manners ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir ; if someone would take a personal 
interest m him I suppose it would be better if he were corrected 
privately. 

The Chairman. It would take no more breath to do it in that way 
than to shout out to him across the table and expose him to ridicule. 
I am merely trying to draw out from you some oi the instances where 
it may be presumed that hazing in any of its various forms is pro¬ 
ductive of any good. We will assume that you are correct, that there 
are instances where some benefits along the line you speak of may be 
conferred upon lower class men. Still, do you not think such benefits 
are offset one hundred times by the injuries which are liable to grow 
out of such a system, where anyone of three, four, or five hundred 
men may practically set up for himself a rule of conduct which may 
be enforced upon lower class men by means of hazing, with the pen- 


120 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


alty of a fight behind it if the lower class man does not agree to it ? 
Do you not think the experience here in the last few months, the 
experience at West Point five years ago, and the experience every 
time when hazing is taken up in a school, shows that m the end it is 
disastrous to the peace of the school, and that in the end it disturbs 
the students in their studies, subjects some of them to dismissal, and 
a great many of them to censure? With that in view, do you not 
think that any benefit such as may grow out of it is offset a hundred 
times by the injurious effect along other lines? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is that the result of your observation as you have 
come to look at it in the last few months? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not understand exactly your meaning. 

The Chairman. Is that the result of your observation in the last 
few months, that hazing as it runs along and spreads and grows, 
brings with it very much more injury—one hundred times more 
injury—than any benefits that can possibly come out of it? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you not think so? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It enables the boy who has something of the bully 
in his nature to exercise it under the form of regulations of his class. 
It permits him to assume to put regularity behind it. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It results frequently, in the hands of young men 
who are reckless, in the death or painful injury of some student. Mr. 
Douglas, the law of Congress that I have read to you to-day is in full 
force and effect. The superintendent of this academy has no dis¬ 
cretion. It is not a question of discretion with him. His duty is to 
obey the law of the United States. It is not a matter of choice, but 
a matter of absolute duty. That duty req^uires him, whenever he 
can hear of a case of hazing in this institution, to convene a court- 
martial and to bring the cadet who is accused of hazing before that 
court-martial and to endeavor to secure evidence sufficent to con¬ 
vict him of it. Upon conviction, he shall be summarily and forever 
dismissed from this institution. That is the law which he is bound to 
obey. Our understanding is that since the student body of this 
school were released from their agreement by Admiral Brownson 
hazing has been very prevalent in this body and has affected almost 
the entire student body, with a few exceptions. That is, that there 
are several hundred in this institution who have subjected them¬ 
selves to the penalties of this law of 1903, and if the facts could be 
brought before a court-martial they would be liable to dismissal. 
Ten or twelve have already been dismissed from the institution. In 
some cases the court-martial, I understand, has believed that the 
degree of hazing wliich they practiced did not merit dismissal, but 
they had no option under the law. They have no option now. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. By order of the President of the United States, I 
think I may say at the request of the members of the Naval Commit¬ 
tee of the House of Kepresentatives the court martial has been tempo- 
mrily suspended We have been sent here as a committee to inquire 
into the conditions which prevail here. We especially desire to know, 
in view of all that has taken place here in the last few months, what 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


121 


the opinion of the student body here now is upon the subject of hazing. 
We desire to know what their opinion of it is, and further to know 
what their intentions are in regard to the practice of hazing in the 
future. 

Midshipman Douglas. Since these courts-martial have been going 
on 1 think they have taken it very serioush^ I do not think there 
is any hazing that has been going on at all. It does not seem to 
me that there is going to be any more hazing. I think it has gone for 
good. 

The Chairman. If we report to Congress that notwithstanding the 
law of the land and notwithstanding the results of hazing as shown 
here in the last two months the sentiment of the student body here is 
still in favor of the practice of hazing, I feel very sure that Congress 
would say There is nothing for us to do. Let the law be enforced. 
Let the Superintendent of the Naval Academy convene his court- 
martial and proceed to convict students of violations of law, even if it 
takes the last student in the academy, and then we will get in a fresh 
lot of young men from the bodv of the people and see if we can stamp 
out the practice of hazing in tliat way.'’ 

I think it is the opinion of Congress, and it would be fully indorsed 
by the people of the country. We believe that it would have a very 
marked influence upon whatever action Congress might take, if they 
should know that the opinion of the student body here, after what has 
happened, and after the law has been called to their attention, is that 
hazing should be discontinued, and that it would be done in part at 
least by the efforts of the students themselves. In other words, that 
they have set their faces against hazing, that they believe the injuries 
resulting from it offset any possible good that they think comes out 
of it, and that in the future they who remain in the academy would do 
the best they could to discourage hazing of all kinds—I think if this 
committee could report truthfully to Congress that that is the feeling 
of the students here, it might have a very marked effect upon the 
action of Congress. 

Midshipman Douglas. I think that is the prevailing opinion now; 
in fact, I am almost sure there is no hazing at all. I know of none. 

The Chairman. Do you know that at West Point five years ago, 
when hazing became very prevalent ther^ and several students lost 
their lives as a result of it and when there was a Congressional investi¬ 
gation ordered, that all the separate classes there met voluntarily— 
that is, as their own action—and put in the form of a resolution their 
intention to thereafter .discountenance and discourage all practices 
of hazing? 

Midshipman Douglas. I did not know that; no, sir. 

The Chairman. That was the action of the student body. I think 
we have a copy of their action in a report. This took place in the 
latter part of 1900, and the first part of 1901. They make this state¬ 
ment : “ Having become cognizant of the manner in which the system 
of hazing as practiced at the Military Academy is regarded by the 
people of the United States, we, the cadets of the United States Mili¬ 
tary Academy, while maintaining that we have pursued our system 
from the best motives, yet realizing that the deliberate judgment of 
the people should, in a country like ours, be above all other considera¬ 
tions, do now reaffirm our former action abolishing the exercising of the 
fourth class men, and do further agree to discontinue hazing—the 


122 


HAZINd^ AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


requiring of fourth classmen to eat anything against their desire’’— 
That was the tabasco habits that they acquired there, you know— 
and the practice of ‘ calling out ’ ”—That is, the class fights—fourth 
class men by class action—and that we will not devise other similar 
practices to replace those abandoned.” 

That is signed for the first class by W. Reese Bettison; for the sec¬ 
ond class by B. O. Mahaffey; for the third class by Quinn Grey; for 
the fourth class by Joseph A. Atkins. 

I think that action on the part of the students at West Point had a 
very marked effect on the action of Congress. Have you any knowd- 
edge, so that you can express it to the committee, as to what the feel¬ 
ings of the men in your class are about it now ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I do not know that I could express 
the opinion of the body, but I know a great many have come to me 
and suggested it, and I think the other two classes, too, that we as 
classes write out a statement similar to that and send it to the super¬ 
intendent, or to Congress, if it would do any good. But it w^as never 
carried out to any further extent. 

The Chairman. I think our committee approves of the action of 
Superintendent Sands in not desiring to make any agreement with the 
classes. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is, we look upon that ver}^ much as if a colonel 
of a regiment should ask his men if they would please obey the orders 
that were given to them by him, when they are supposed to obey the 
orders. They have taken the oath of allegiance to the country and 
they have taken an oath to obey orders and regulations. The}^ are 
supposed to obey them. I do not think Admiral Sands erred in tak¬ 
ing the ground that he could not ask the students here, who have 
already sworn to obey the regulations, whether they would or wmuld 
not do so. But I think Admiral Sands, as well as Congress, and the 
country, would be glad to know the frame of mind of the students 
upon this subject, voluntarily given—what their opinion is after the 
experiences we have gone through. We should be very glad to carry 
back to the House of Representatives information, if it can be truth¬ 
fully given, that the members of your class, in view of all that has 
happened and in the light of their experience, feel that hazing ought 
not to be practiced, and that they will do all they can to discourage it, 
and that they will do all they can to create a sentiment in the student 
body against all forms and practices of hazing. We shall be in session 
probably a good share of next week, Mr. Douglas. If you can bring 
us any further information as to the feelings of the class of which you 
are president, we shall be very glad to receive it during that time. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir; I think the class as a body, and I 
think all the other classes, have practically abolished hazing; and I 
think the sentiment is very strong against it since what has taken 
place. 

The Chairman. I understand from what talk we have had with the 
men who represent the first class next year—now the second class— 
that a very large proportion of all the classes are in favor of doing 
away with hazing and of discountenancing it, and furthermore notify¬ 
ing the fourth classmen when they come in of what has been done, 
and that if any hazing is attempted upon them they are at full liberty 
and encouraged to refuse to obey it. That action, of course, would 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


123 


do away with it, and if you should be able to bring us a fuller expres¬ 
sion of the class opinion on it before we finish our investigation, we 
shall be very glad to have you do so. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. ^ 

The Chairman. What other point do you think we could take up, 
gentlemen ? 

Mr. Dawson. There are one or two things in the way of a little more 
information that I would like to draw out. 

The Chairman. Go ahead. 

Mr. Dawson. Mr. Douglas, have you had any experience with a 
custom known as “cussing out,’’ and can you tell the committee just 
what it consists of? 

Midshipman Douglas. Cussing out is probably resorted to for 
something that a fourth classman has done that the upper classmen 
does not think proper, and he expresses his opinion on the subject 
very forcibly. I think that is the way it is done—using a little swear 
words in expressing his opinion. That is what they term cussing out. 

Mr. Dawson. Is it the practice sometimes—as a species of hazing, 
I presume—for an upper classman to require a fourth classman to, 
we will say cuss out the commandant? 

Midshipman Douglas. I have never heard of that. 

Mr. Gregg. Not to his face? 

Mr. Dawson. No; but in the room in his absence. There is one 
thing more I wanted to ask. What are the relations between the 
cadets and the disciplinary officers of the academy? That is, if lower 
classmen should get into trouble, do they feel at perfect liberty to 
go and talk with these disciplinary officers—these four lieutenant- 
commanders ? 

Midshipman Douglas. Do you mean the officers in the Navy or 
the midshipmen officers? 

Mr. Dawson. The naval officers. 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I think it is very seldom that they 
consult an officer. 

Mr. Dawson. If they have any grievance it is their custom to make 
inquiry of their cadet officers, is it? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know about that. I think they 
usually discuss such matters with their classmates, and ask their 
views on the subject or some suggestions. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know vmether cadets are encouraged to con¬ 
sult the disciplinary officers—the four naval officers who are the dis¬ 
ciplinary officers ? Are the cadets encouraged to consult them in case 
of trouble or anything that they do not understand ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I think the officers want them to come to 
them if they have any trouble that they wish to have expressed or to 
have explained to them. 

Mr. Dawson. Yet it is not the practice of the boys to do it very 
freely 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Those are about the only things I care to ask. 

The Chairman. I wish, Mr. Douglas, that ^mu would get the opin¬ 
ion of your class, and willingness to discourage class fighting as well 
as hazing. By class fighting we mean what we have defined here. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where there may be no personal difference, and 


124 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


where the selection is made by the president or a committee of the 
upper class men. I am not talking about personal fights, but class 
fights. 

Mr. Dawson. There is one thing more. Do the cadets regard a 
regulation in a different light from an order of the superior officer 
posted on the bulletin board? 

Mdshipman Douglas. No, sir; the regulation is regarded very 
highly, I think. 

Mi. Dawson. Is one considered as superior to the other? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; all orders issued here are consid¬ 
ered as regulations, I think, although the regulations, I suppose, are 
considered more important than orders that are issued. I think 
they are considered as laws of the country are considered by the 
people. 

The Chaikman. No examination of any kind is held on these 
regulations ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Has an order posted on the bulletin board any more 
binding effect? 

Midshipman Douglas. Any order, I suppose, is more readily 
obeyed, because a midshipman may not know every regulation that 
is in the book, and the orders are right there before him. 

The Chairman. It has a little more effect, because it is fresh? 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is all to-day, Mr. Douglas. We may ask 
you to come back next week, and in case you have any additional 
mformation for us we would like to have you come anyway. 

Midshipman Douglas. Yes, sir. 

The subcommittee (at 4.30 oYlock p. m.) adjourned until Tuesday, 
February 20, 1906, at — o’clock. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., February 20, 1906. 

The subcommittee met at 3.30 o’clock p. m., Hon. E. B. Vreeland 
in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF CAPT. G. P. COLVOCORESSES, U. S. NAVY. 

The Chairman. Captain, this is a subcommittee of the Naval Com¬ 
mittee of the House of Representatives. We are sent here to obtain 
such information as we can relative to the discipline and management 
of tne academy, particularly as it relates to hazing. By order of the 
President and Secretary of the Navy, officers attached to the academy 
are directed to appear before the committee and give such informa¬ 
tion as may be desired, and as they are able to give. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We are not, therefore, administering the oath to 
the officers. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I will be very happy to give 
you any information in my possession. 

The Chairman. Captain, you are a graduate of the academy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


125 


The Chairman. In what year did you graduate? 

Captain Colvocoresses. In 1869. 

The Chairman. Have you been here very much since your gradua¬ 
tion, until your present attachment 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I have been here on two terms 
of duty, one ending in 1890 and the other ending in 1897—four years 
each time—which makes eight years that I have been here on duty 
since I graduated out of the academy. 

The Chairman. You have kept, then, quite familiar with the 
academy here? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I was in one of the academic 
departments. I was head of the department of drawing during those 
terms. 

The Chairman. Did you have what we call hazing when you were 
a student here? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Not to any great or organized extent. 
When I entered the academy it was at Newport, R. I. The midship¬ 
men of the fourth class who entered were quartered on board the 
Santee, which was then at Goat Island. The third class men were on 
the old Constitution, and the second and first classes were in Newport, 
at the Ocean House. Therefore those two classes were entirely sepa¬ 
rated from us. The third class was the only class that ever attempted 
any such thing as hazing. We used to call it “running” in those 
days, and it consisted chiefly in coming on board the ship after the 
hammocks had been hung, getting underneath a fellow’s hammock, 
and boosting him up, or perhaps cutting the clews of the hammock and 
letting the occupant down. It was merely horse play. There was no 
organization about it. It was simply such things as boys would do 
among themselves. The second and first classes never, to my knowl¬ 
edge, took part in anything of that kind, and the first class men were 
looked upon as officers. We never presumed, in anv way, to be 
familiar with them, nor did they do anything of the kind to us. They 
were very dignified, and the relations were exceedingly pleasant. 
For instance, I used to go over on Saturday afternoon to Newport, 
whenever I could, and my greatest friend in the academy at that 
time was the adjutant of the first class. We would go and walk 
together, and go into Brunnenger’s and eat cream cakes together. 
That was the extent of our dissipation. The most pleasant, friendly 
relations existed. 

The Chairman. In your other terms of service here, what came to 
your knowledge in relation to hazing Did it exist to any extent? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I used to hear rumors of hazing. During 
my last term that ended in 1897, I remember hearing that they used 
to stand them on their heads, and make them do things of that kind 
occasionally. We would hear a little rumor of it, but never anything 
to any extent. There was nothing organized that I ever knew of. 

The Chairman. Your duties then would not necessarily put you in 
touch with that here? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Nothing, except what happened in the 
class room. 

The Chairman. Except what came to your ears? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You are the principal officer, next to the superin¬ 
tendent, in the disciplinary system here ? 


126 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. ^ 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; I have that honor. 

The Chairman. You are the one who comes directly in contact 
with the cadets? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In enforcing the regulations and in carrying out 
the orders of the superintendent ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Captain, give us, in your own way, the disciplinary 
system which prevails here now, under your charge. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Wlien we came here, sir, you know the 
academy at that time had been in two separate places. One of the 
old buildings here, known as the ‘‘Annex,has since been torn down. 
A portion of the midshipmen were down in what is known as Bancroft 
Hall. That had been the practice. Then they went on the practice 
cruise, as it is called; and when I came here on the 26th of June last, 
the fourth class was the only class of midshipmen here. They were 
organized as a battalion of Infantry, with companies, each company 
having its officers and subofficers; and in all formations and in drills 
they followed exactly the system used in the Army. But in the mat¬ 
ter of reports and things of that kind we had officers in charge, who 
were detailed from the instructors in the various departments here. 
They came on duty for a day, and attended to their own vocations, 
in recitations, and so on; and in that way we were getting on, with 
the cadets, or midshipmen, detailed daily as officers of the day. 

The Chairman. You refer now to your present term of service here. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; when I came in June last—the 
26th of June. The boys were exceedingly docile and behaved very 
well. There was not any trouble at all. Not long after I came— 
I think it was in the month of September, or before that—others who 
had been dismissed or had dropped out, oldsters in a way, that had 
had a year’s experience here, began to drift in for the examinations 
and admissions during the summer. We always find that when those 
who have been here before and have got onto all the tricks come back, 
they are apt to impart them to the newcomers, and they get into a 
little more mischief. Then, also, I think it was in September, several 
midshipmen who had failed in their studies and had been assigned to 
the academ}^ for the purpose of making up those studies, were doing 
extra instruction here; also those who had been found deficient in con¬ 
duct, and who had behaved very badly on the cruise, were deprived 
of their leave and sent here. 

The Chairman. Can you tell us how many of the older classes were 
here during September; about how many? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I should think perhaps twenty, approxi¬ 
mately. That caused a new leaven to enter into the academy, and 
there was, of course, more trouble. That is, none of the reports at 
that time were particularly bad. One midshipman was dismissed 
very soon after we came here, I remember, for repeated Frenching 
and giving some talk to a sentinel; and his other conduct was so bad 
that he was recommended for dismissal—a Mr. Hutchins. 

Then, as you know, sir, the academy was to have commenced on the 
1st of October, according to schedule time, but owing to the preva¬ 
lence of diphtheria here they had to go through all sorts of changes 
and variations. We put the midshipmen on board the Newark here. 
We put them on the Hartford. We sent them up here and they had 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


127 


to be fumigated. All their clothes had to be fumigated. They had 
to be taken from that large Bancroft Hall and put down on the Hart¬ 
ford^ and kept under very close observation by the surgeons. When 
they got better their clothes were all fumigated, and they were given 
a bath in the gymnasium and sent up to the old Annex, which is now 
torn down, until they were pronounced entirely free from contagion. 

The Chairman. That was in September? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That was in September. So it was not 
until the 15th of October that we got back into Bancroft Hall, and the 
academy went on then. 

The Chairman. The fourth class comes in in July, does it not? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are supposed to come in in June, sir, 
and the examinations continue all along. Most of them come in 
June, and then in cases where they have not been appointed promptly, 
where others have failed, they come dribbling along until nearlv 
October 1st. 

The Chairman. Are the other classes here in June? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They go on the cruise at that time. They 
do not mix with the newcomers at that time. 

The Chairman. They start on the cruise about June? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; about the 1st of June. 

The Chairman. What time do they return? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They return the 1st of September, sir. 
Then they take a month’s leave during September, and come back on 
the 1st of October. Then the whole academy assembles, and goes 
ahead. 

The Chairman. What do you do with the fourth class during the 
time when you have them here alone? How do you start off? 

Captain Colvocoresses. We start off first to give them the setting¬ 
up, under the athletic teachers and the sword masters. Under the 
supervision of the officers of ordnance, down in the gymnasium, they 
have regular drills in seamanship, in gunnery, and very largely in all 
sorts of infantry maneuvers. Of course they have to be set-up first, 
and given their bearing. Then they give them their muskets, and 
they go through the evolutions; and it is to their credit to say that 
during this summer those fourth class men were perfectly able, at the 
end of September, to go right in with the whole battalion and drill as 
a brigade, without any trouble at all. Then they have swimming exer¬ 
cises when they have leisure. Then they have French. French is 
taught them now during the summer. They did not have it formerly. 
That is the only thing they have to study. 

During recreation hours they may use the boats here to go out 
sailing. We have quite a large number of different kinds of boats. 
They can go up and down the river, and they have ball and tennis and 
all kinds of things in the courts and grounds which you see about us. 
I think the time is exceedingly pleasantly allotted lor the boys. They 
have a great deal of freedom. 

The Chairman. Who appoints the cadet officers. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think they were all appointed last year 
upon recommendations left by the former commandant and others, 
who had, I presume, formed a board to determine. I understand it 
was largely determined by their good performance as drill officers. 
The system we have employed this year has been this: First we con¬ 
sider a man’s class standing, and other things being equal, we would 


128 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


give the first man in the class the highest position. Then we consider 
the cruise reports, the reports that he had when he was at sea on the 
cruises; his conduct while here, and the reports of the div^onal offi¬ 
cers—the tour officers who are in the department of discipline, and 
who have the four different divisions of the academy—with whom 
they are intimately brought in contact; also by conferring with the 
officers of the discipline department. From those factors we deter¬ 
mine who is to be a cadet officer. 

The Chairman. The cadet officers who were in charge of their com¬ 
panies during this hazing outbreak—where are they? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Where are they now, sir? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They have left the academy, sir. They 
have all gone to sea. They graduated the 1st of this month. 

The Chairman. Or have been dismissed by court-martial? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes; some of them. 

The Chairman. So that you have now all new cadet officers? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are all new. 

The Chairman. By whom are they appointed? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I say they had as second class men a cer¬ 
tain number of what we call petty officers, which correspond to cor¬ 
porals and sergeants in the Army. A certain number of second class 
men were petty officers, and I think with few exceptions—a few of 
them have changed—they are still continued in the brigade as petty 
officers; or some of them have gone up higher, according to their 
deserts as we understood them. They were appointed, sir, by me 
through the superintendent. 

The Chairman. On your recommendation? 

Captain Colvocoresses. On my recommendation and by full and 
free conference with all the officers who knew them. 

Mr. Dawson. The cadet officers are all taken from the first class, 
are they? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are in this case now. We have a 
very large first class—much more than enough to supply cadet offi¬ 
cers and petty officers. The system last year was to take the petty 
officers from the second class. 

The Chairman. The selection of these officers, then, was made 
according to the system you have just described? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Also their standing in studies and proficiency in 
drill exercises? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; and their conduct, as set forth 
in reports from the cruise, where they had been under sea conditions. 

The Chairman. These boys that are sent to sea have to stop their 
studies, of course? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They do not study, except- 

The Chairman. What becomes of those boys? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The system of late years has been, due 
to the fact that they had no practice ships or could not have enough 
to take all of this great brigade of midshipmen, to send them on 
board vessels of the Atlantic Squadron. There they went on board 
the regular cruisers and ships and were given various duties. Some 
would be sent into the engine room; some would be on deck; some 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


129 


would be on the signals. They would be divisional officers, officers of 
the forecastle, officers of the quarter-deck; some would go in the boats 
and do the duties that midshipmen usually perform. 

The Chairman. What eventually becomes of them? How soon do 
they get back to the academy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They come back on the 1st of October, 
ready to go on as first class men. They are then the cadet officers 
here again, and they go ahead until they graduate. In this case, you 
see, they graduated the 12th of February. But pardon me; you 
mean after graduation? 

The Chairman. No; I am talking about these cadet officers that 
have been sent to sea as punishment. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Oh, about them. 

The Chairman. Yes, sir; they are now at sea, I understand. 

Captain ‘Colvocoresses. They are at sea. 

The Chairman. What happens to’ them in the future? How do 
they get back here, and when; and what place do they take when 
they come back? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are no longer midshipmen attached 
to the academy. They have ceased to have any connection with the 
academy. They have graduated from this academy. But, as you 
know, sir, in the Navy a midshipman is required to perform two 
years’ service at sea after graduation. Then he is eligible to become 
an ensign, and he becomes then a commissioned officer. Not until 
then is a midshipman a commissioned officer. 

The Chairman. Then these boys, who failed as cadet officers to 
report violations in relation to hazing and other things, have simply 
gone to sea with the rest of their class? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Precisely, sir. They have nothing more 
to do with the academy. 

The Chairman. I got the impression that they were sent immedi¬ 
ately to sea as a punishment. They graduated with the balance of 
the class, and have gone to sea with the class? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I think I can make that clear 
to you, sir. Some of those whose behavior was particularly bad, by 
authority of the Department, instead of getting two weeks’ leave, that 
is usually granted to midshipmen, and which all the others got before 
going on board the seagoing ships, were sent immediately on board 
ship, so they did not get that two weeks’ leave at home. 

The Chairman. That is the punishment they received? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That is the punishment they received. 

The Chairman. Besides being reduced from their positions as offi¬ 
cers—or was not that done? Were they not reduced to the ranks? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; those who took part in the 
Branch-Meriwether fight. 

The Chairman. The cadet officers who failed to report violations— 
were they not put back in the ranks? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I only remember those cases—I think 
there were about four—of midshipmen who took part in the fight. 
There were some others who dribbled in afterwards, but I do not 
think they were punished for that by being sent to sea. They all 
graduated together. 

The Chairman. There has been no hazing, I suppose, for how 
long? Since the court-martial commenced its operations? 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-9 


130 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. I think there has been absolutely none 
since then. We do the best we can to find it out. We are not 
policed. If you have not been in the building I should like to have 
you gentlemen see it. 

The Chairman. We have been through it. 

Captain Colvocoresses. There is a vast labyrinth of corridors and 
rooms, of halls and underground passages. Up in the mansard pas¬ 
sages all around the fifth story there are dormer windows where they 
can get out and communicate all around the roof. The building was 
never constructed with a view to close surveillance. We have six 
masters at arms, who are appointed men. They have been either 
old marines or sailors who have done the office of master at arms, 
which is something like a police officer, on board ship. They are in 
charge of the corridors and halls. They are very excellent men, and 
they do what they can; but, of course, in such a vast building as that 
they are quite lost, and from their position as privates they do not 
interfere very much with the midshipmen. But they are always 
instructed to tell us, and they do ver}^ often tell us, of infractions of 
reflations. 

Then there is one officer there who is always on duty—the officer in 
charge—who is a commissioned officer. He has to sit in his office a 
great deal, because there are hundreds of these young men coming in 
and asking questions at all times. He has to make regular inspec¬ 
tions of buildings and rooms, as far as he can, in order to help things. 
The other three officers of that department are there every morning 
and make inspections of their particular divisions, the whole corps of 
midshipmen being divided into four divisions. It gives about 250 
men to each officer. The midshipmen are instructed to go to them 
with all their little troubles and ask their advice, and to be helped. 
These officers inspect their rooms and inspect them to see that they 
are dressed properly. They do duty daily, night and day, as officers 
in charge. 

There is also a marine orderly—the only one down there. I have 
been trying very hard to get more police force, but conditions are such 
that we can not get more men or more officers here. 

The Chairman. Do you think. Captain, that you should have more 
assistants—more disciplinary officers—at your disposal, both at Ban¬ 
croft Hall and in the mess room? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think Admiral Dewey stated the case 
very clearly. If we can carry out our present system and hope of 
educating the cadet officers up to the proper idea of duty, we can get 
along very well. If we have got to adopt a system of watching these 
boys, we have got to have a very great number of officers and keep 
them constantly under supervision. 

The Chairman. The failure, then, of the system of self-government 
by the cadets through their own officers would necessitate having a 
very large number—I suppose 50 would not be any too many—to 
supervise them—that is, if it had to be actually done by your dis¬ 
ciplinary force ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. It would take twelve officers, some of 
them living day and night in the buildings, at least. The system at 
West Point, as you know, is different. They have all bachelor officers 
as officers in charge there. They have six, I think, and they sleep in 
the building. Our officer in charge is there day and night, and he 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


181 


sleeps there whenever he is on duty. The buildings are very dif¬ 
ferently arranged, and I think they can keep them under closer super¬ 
vision than we are able to do, due to the arrangement of Bancroft 
Hall. 

The Chairman. Then three months from now, under your present 
system, how will you find out that hazing does not exist, when the 
courts-martial have ceased to work and the interest in this matter has 
abated ? 

Captain CoLVOCORESSES. By doing just what was done in this pres¬ 
ent case, sir; having a court of inquiry sit, with power to administer 
oaths, and call the midshipmen up and make them testify. 

The Chairman. You would do that at irregular intervals, whether 
any direct evidence or notice came to you or not of the existence of 
hazing ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; at irregular intervals. It is to 
be hoped that now the fourth class will come forward and let us know 
when anything of this sort occurs. I want to tell you very freely, sir, 
that, knowing boys and having heard that there was such a thing as 
hazing at the academy, I have been always on the alert, as far as I 
could be. I have called up members of the different classes during 
this summer and asked them if there was any such thing as hazing 
going on or if they knew of it. No, they did not know of it—nothing 
of the kind. I have asked the master-at-arms—no. The officers in 
charge—no; and none of them suspected it until the Meriwether- 
Branch fight came off. 

The Chairman. What was the date of that? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That was Guy Fawkes Day—the 5th of 
November. 

The Chairman. Did that bring out knowledge that hazing was 
taking place ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. Now, please remember the 
dates, gentlemen. It was the 15th of October that the academy 
opened, under these conditions, which had been very peculiar, and it 
was on the 5th of November that the Branch-Meriwether fight took 
place and when we began to get onto these things. So it had not 
been in existence so very long here. 

The Chairman. This fight, I understand, was not a class fight, but 
a personal fight between the two men? 

Captain Colvocoresses. It was and it was not, sir. I should say 
the class president and others arranged the fight as a regular Marquis 
of Queensbury rules fight. It was not a fight that would arise 
between two young men who lost their tempers and went at each 
other. If it had been that, I think there would have been no trouble. 
If, when Mr. Meriwether went to Mr. Branch’s room the night he felt 
particularly aggrieved, and called Mr. Branch names, as he did, Mr. 
Branch had gotten out of his bed and had fought with Mr. Meriwether, 
as he asked him to do, there and then, I think there would not have 
been certainly any of these serious consequences following it. But 
that was not the case. They went off and arranged, or prearranged, 
a regular Marquis of Queensbury rules fight, which resulted as it did. 

The Chairman. My understanding of a class fight and a personal 
encounter may be incorrect. I understand a class fight to be one 
which usually grows out of the system of hazing or running. 


182 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. I do not believe it has usually anything 
to do with hazing- 

The Chairman. But in which the fight does not necessarily take 
place between two midshipmen on account of a personal difference. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I see, sir. 

The Chairman. But that one of the lower class men refuses to obey 
the system of hazing or running, and that therefore he is obliged to 
fight whoever may be selected by the upper class. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I see, sir. 

The Chairman. That is what I understand to be class fighting. 

Captain Colvocoresses. This fight had two elements in it. The 
first was the personal element of dislike and grievance between these 
two men, Meriwether and Branch. Then the class rule applied as 
to what kind of a fight it was to be—a regular set fight. I never 
dreamed they had any such things here; that there was a regular rule. 
There are some of the first class who have just graduated who have 
told me they never knew they had these regular secret societies, as 
you might call them, by which such things are governed. They are 
kept very quiet, and only a very few men in the class knew anything 
about it. They would go to the president of the class and tell him 
their grievances and he would decide what kind of a fight it would be, 
and the seconds and timekeepers were appointed. And they were the 
only people who would be present. 

The Chairman. But class fighting, as I understand the term- 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think I understand what you mean. 
You mean where, for instance, a second class man would haze a third 
class man, and then the third class man would want to fight, and a 
man would be appointed out of the second class to fight him; and 
they would keep on fighting until that fellow was whipped. 

The Chairman. Do members of the second class haze members of 
the third class? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; they do not. I simply men¬ 
tioned that as an illustration. 

The Chairman. I supposed they were immune from hazing after 
they left the fourth class. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are. 

The Chairman. And that class fighting would be between a mem¬ 
ber of the fourth class and one of the upper classes. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Usually. 

The Chairman. In which a man selected from one of the upper 
classes would fight the fourth class man because of the refusal of the 
fourth class man to obey orders. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I see. 

The Chairman. In relation to hazing, running, and rating. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I do not think the Branch- 
Meriwether fight was any such fight as that. 

The Chairman. It was merely a personal fight? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; and I do not know of any such 
fight having taken place here at all. 

The Chairman. Since you have been here this time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Since I have been here. 

The Chairman. Meriwether belonged to what class? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Meriwether was in the third class and 
Branch was in the second class. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


133 


The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Padgett. Captain, you spoke about the cadet and petty offi¬ 
cers. At present are any of them appointed from the third and fourth 
classes ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. None of them, sir. They are all of the 
first class, or the senior class now present. They are really the second 
class until next June. Our classes have got a little mixed up, due to 
the shortening of the time. 

Mr. Padgett. I understand you designate them as the senior class. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Are any officers of any kind appointed from the 
third or fourth classes ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. None whatever, sir. But last year it was 
different. There were the lower grades of petty officers—we might 
call them corporals—appointed from the second class. 

Mr. Padgett. Were any ever appointed from the third or fourth 
classes ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir. At West Point they go down to 
the third class and take them in. Our system is different. 

Mr. Padgett. I had gotten the impression from what had occurred, 
or what I understood had been testified to, that they had reorganized 
here^ so that cadet and petty officers were distributed among the four 
classes. 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; never. But I would say this, in 
the way of explanation. Of course, when the fourth class are here 
alone then we have to give all the cadet officers and everything else to 
them, and they become adjutants and everything. They have a full 
chance. 

Mr. Padgett. That is temporary, during the vacation? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes; as I say, they respond splendidly 
to it. 

Mr. Padgett. I am speaking of during the school term. 

Captain Colvocoresses. During the regular school term last year 
there were first and second class men as cadet and petty officers. 
This year there will be only first class men. 

Mr. Gregg. I think. Captain, you said you did not consider that 
the Branch-Meriwether fight had any connection with hazing. 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir. If you desire, I will tell you 
what Meriwether told me was the true cause of the fight, and which 
never came out. 

The Chairman. I would like to hear it. 

Mr. Gregg. Yes; state that please. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not think I am breaking any confi¬ 
dence. He came to my room once and said, “Captain, I have never 
told what th^ real cause was. ’’ He said, “ I have got a grandmother 
in Louisiana who is a very old lady. She does not write well. Her 
sight is bad. She also has a pretty dark complexion. I had a photo¬ 
graph from her, and with it a letter written in very crabbed, old- 
fashioned handwriting. It was lying on my table, and Mr. Branch 
came into the room and commenced to make fun, and to criticise 
the writing. He said a person who had correspondents of that kind 
could not be much,’’ and so forth and so on, and he also commenced 
to make remarks about the looks of the grandmother in the photo- 


134 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


graph. That is what he told me was the real origin of that fight, 
§0 you see it had nothing to do with any class business whatever. 

Mr. Gregg. Now, then, you said that you knew nothing, or had no 
information, about hazing existing here prior to the Branch-Meri- 
wether fight. 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir. I had received two anonymous 
letters from a person calling himself Moses Green in the town of 
Annapolis, stating that there was hazing, in the way of men haying 
to eat under the table. This last information came to me a little 
while before that fight. 

Mr. Gregg. But after you got that letter- 

Captain Colvocoresses. I inquired carefully who there was by 
the name of Moses Green in Annapolis. I could not find anyone. 
I asked all the servitors about the place if they knew such a man. 
I thought it was a colored man. I had been informed that some of 
the mess-hall boys had, in years previous, in order to excite a stir, 
written anonymous letters of this same character, denouncing mid¬ 
shipmen, and so on, and I was very desirous, if possible, to find out 
who this person was. I called up every midshipman by the name of 
Green, to see if he had any connection out in town, thinking it pos¬ 
sibly might be a parent or a friend. 

On one occasion when I first came, a lawyer in the town napied 
Mr. Owen, met me one morning. I had a pleasant speaking acquain¬ 
tance with him. He said that he was afraid some of those boys were 
going to be hazed. I said: ^^Mr. Owen, if you will tell me at any 
time of any boy that is hazed, or give me the names of the hazers, 
that is all I ask, but I can not act on this information, which is 
without any authority whatever. You see, the boys come out and 
tell you things. Will you mention the name of any boy to me?’’ No, 
he would not do that. Then I said, ^Mt is strange. I call up these 
boys and I ask them if they are being hazed, and there is not one 
who ever says he is. ” What are you going to do ? People in Annapo¬ 
lis have said they have known this. They have so stated in the 
papers, in reports. You know the boys will come out and sometimes 
they will spin yarns to them, and tell, I think, pretty fishy stories, 
and they will excite sympathy; but what they say can not always 
be taken as the gospel truth. But to get any concrete, absolute, 
positive facts was utterly impossible until we got onto this fight in 
the Branch case. 

Mr. Gregg. That is the effort you made to identify Moses Green? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. You failed to identify him. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Entirely, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What, if anything, was done toward the increase of 
the surveillance in the mess hall, to find out whether or not this 
information was correct? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I called up all the officers, and I showed 
them all these letters—all the officers in charge—and told them these 
stories, which nobody believed, were in circulation, and told them 
to keep a particular watch and ward; and they did. 

Mr. Gregg. There was only one officer in charge? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Only one officer in charge. He sits in 
the center of the mess hall. 

Mr. Gregg. Those instructions, you say, were to use extra pre¬ 
cautions to see whether there was any truth in that report? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


185 


Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; and to see that the young men 
were not disturbed. In the old times they used to keep them from 
drinking milk, and such things. I made many inquiries, but I never 
was able to find that they were in any way molested. 

Mr. Gregg. The officers in charge are discipline officers, the regu¬ 
lar officers of the Navy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; lieutenant-commanders. 

Mr. Gregg. Another thing. How did the Meriwether fight 
develop the existence of hazing in the academy if it had no connec¬ 
tion with hazing? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Because inquir}^ was at once made as 
to whether this was a class fight, and so on. We came to find out 
that it was not a class fight; and then we commenced to make inquir¬ 
ies of all sorts and conditions of people. What gave me the positive 
clew to it was the fact of a Mrs. Pettus coming down from Washing¬ 
ton here to inquire about young Kimbrough. She came to me one 
day and sat in my office for a long time talking to me. She was anx¬ 
ious about him. The boy was not happy, and had wanted to resign, 
and his friends did not wish him to resign. She came to see me about 
it. During that conversation she let slip something which led me 
to suppose the boy was being hazed. She wanted me to promise, 
which I would not do, that whatever she said I would not act Rp<^^* 
But I said: ^^You must reniember, madam, that I am in an official 
position. If I can get any information, I want you to give it to 
me.’’ She gave me a clew, and I sent for the boy, and he confessed 
that he had been hazed. Then, I think, about two days after that 
occured his being found hazed by Mr. Coffin in his room, and the cat 
was out of the bag. 

Mr. Dawson. What was the date? Do you remember the date 
of this lady’s interview? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I should think it was about—let me see— 
I should say it was about the 15th of December, sir. I think it was 
the 17th that Kimbrough was hazed so badly. 

Mr. Gregg. There is one more question. I had not finished. 

Mr. Dawson. Pardon me. 

Mr. Gregg. Certainly. What cadet officers were connected with 
the Branch-Meriwether fight? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Now I hope I can remember them all 
clearly. I should have brought a list, if I had thought. 

Mr. Padgett. Did you want to get the cadets’ names? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes; I think so. 

Captain Colvocoresses. There were, I tliink, four that I could 
name. There was a Mr. Noyes and another one—one acted as 
timekeeper and the other was referee. 

The Chairman. What is the object of that? 

Captain Colvocoresses (continuing): Then there were two other 
cadet officers who were cognizant or these gentlemen having left 
their companies at supper, when they should have marched them 
in, and should have reported their being absent. They knew they 
were away, and knew they were absent in all probability for this 
express purpose. 

Mr. Gregg. I do not care about the names specially. How many 
were connected with and present at the fight, do you say? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Two of the cadet officers, I am sure. 


136 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Gregg. Present at the fight? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Then there were two others who knew these people 
were absent, and whose duty it was to report them? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Certainly. 

Mr. Gregg. And they failed ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They failed utterly. 

Mr. Gregg. Where are those four cadet officers now? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are all at sea, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. They have been permitted to graduate? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They have been permitted to graduate. 

Mr. Gregg. And have gone out of the academy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They have gone to sea; yes, sir. 

Mr*. Gregg. You ascertained their names? You knew who they 
were before graduation, did you? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Oh, yes, sir; I knew their names at the 
time, at once. They were reported. 

Mr. Gregg. What punishment, if any, was inflicted on them? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think they each got 100 demerits, and 
were reduced to the ranks. 

Mr. Dawson. And deprived of their two weeks’ leave, also? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; those men were not. 

The Chairman. The 100 demerits which one of them received 
prevented his graduation, did it not. Captain—a Texas boy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. That was Mr. Bean. He was 
in charge of a floor, and was one of those who should have given 
notice of any disorder going on there. 

The Chairman. He was a cadet officer? 

Captain Colvocoresses. He was on duty outside, in charge of 
that corridor. That would make five. I did not think of him. 

Mr. Gregg. He was the fifth? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Did his 100 demerits put him out of the academy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They helped to, of course. There were 
other things in connection with it. 

Mr. Gregg. The 100 demerits he got for that did not run him over 
the numffier, did it? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think it did; yes, sir. But he had 
several other serious reports, over a controversy with an instructor 
in his room. 

Mr. Gregg. What finally put him out was the controversy with 
the instructor? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I tliink it was. 

Mr. Gregg. His 100 demerits received for dereliction of duty about 
the fight did not run him over the limit ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think not. 

Mr. Gregg. He ran over the limit finally by his conduct at the 
examination ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think so. I could tell you exactly by 
looking it up. 

Mr. Dawson. Was it established that this young man. Bean, knew 
the fight was in progress ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I was perfectly satisfied that he did; 
yes, sir. I was perfectly satisfied, because notice was given that the 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


137 


officer in charge was approaching, and all that sort of thing. That 
could not have been done without the knowledge of the superintend¬ 
ent of the floor, for that is just what he is put there for. 

The Chairman. You mean that the naval officer in charge was 
approaching ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. That is what stopped the fight. 
Gooduess knows how long it would have gone on otherwise. 

The Chairman. How did the naval officer happen to be approach¬ 
ing? Was he making his regular round? 

Captain Colvocoresses. He was just making his regular round, 
as they do, at no set time. They have to- 

The Chairman. Now, Captain, I suppose a good many fights of 
different kinds take place, or have taken place, among the students? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not think there have been so many, 
sir. I do not, really. I think they are a very peaceable set of boys, 
as far as that goes. 

The Chairman. How many would you estimate have taken place 
in the last year? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I really can not tell, because I do not 
know of but these two, I think, that I know of. 

The Chairman. That is, since June? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Since June. Of course they may get out 
and have a little scuffle and me not know anything about it. 

The Chairman. There is some evidence that has come to the com¬ 
mittee that the number of personal encounters between them is con¬ 
siderable. We have asked for testimony from the sick mess, if that 
is what you call it—the hospital. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I think the surgeon who was before us estimated 
that in the last year and a half—this year and the year preceding—■ 
there might have been ten or twelve or fifteen. That was liis esti¬ 
mate. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Fights of all kinds. Have you ever known of an 
instance of a cadet officer in charge reporting a fight before this 
Branch-Meriwether fight ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; no, sir. 

The Chairman. You have known some fights to take place? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I have not. 

The Chairman. You have not? You said you did not know of 
only two or three since you have been here. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; that is all—do you mean in the 
old days, before coming here ? 

The Chairman. No, since you have been here. I understand you 
know of two or three since you have been here. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They were not reported by cadet officers 
at all. I have not known of their reporting an}". 

The Chairman. Did they receive any demerits ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The fighters ? 

The Chairman. No; the cadet officers whose duty it was under 
the regulations to report them. I suppose it is their duty to report 
fights, is it not? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. All fights? 



L38 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. These gentlemen who were present at 
the Branch-Meriwether fight, as I say, got 100 demerits. 

The Chairman. I know. I am inquiring now about fights that 
took place before that. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not know of any, sir. 

The Chairman. I want to know whether, since you have been here, 
any fight has been reported by cadet officers ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. None to my knowledge, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. I understood him to say there was one other besides 
the Branch-Meriwether fight. 

Captain Colvocoresses. There have been two fights, I think. 

Mr. Gregg. The Branch-Meriwether and one more. That is what 
I understood. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I was thinking whether I knew of any 
other that I could recall at this moment. No, that was not a fight. I 
stopped it. It was going to be between Moses and another man. A 
challenge was sent, but they didn’t fight. 

The Chairman. These personal encounters are generally over¬ 
looked by the officers in charge, are they not, if it happened to come 
to their knowledge ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; not to my knowledge. I would 
punish them as hard as I could. It is, according to regulations, a 
gross disorder. In the old times fighting was in our regulation book, 
and the penalty was seven demerits. 

The Chairman. Seven? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Seven demerits. 

The Chairman. It was not very expensive. 

Captain Colvocoresses. For some reason or other, which I can 
not state, that has not appeared for quite a number of years—fight¬ 
ing, as such. 

The Chairman. Is it named in the regulations at all ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Not in the Naval Academy Regulations. 
But it is the articles for the government of the Navy, which are sup¬ 
posed to apply here. 

The Chairman. Are cadets supplied with a copy of that as well 
as with a copy of the academy regulations ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are now. 

The Chairman. They have not been heretofore? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They have not been heretofore. It is 
our purpose to incorporate it in the regulations. 

The Chairman. The evidence we have from the sick quarters offi¬ 
cers who have been before us seems to show that a good many of these 
fights take place—not class fights, but personal fights. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They would know far better than we 
do; because they conceal it, and it is only by close questioning, I 
imagine, that the doctors ever get at the true inwardness of it. 

The Chairman. Why should the surgeons know better than the 
head of the disciplinary department? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Because he sees the bruises, and sees 
what they are. 

The Chairman. Is it not his duty to report those things? 

Captain Colvocoresses. To me? 

The Chairman. To somebody connected with the disciplinary 
department? J 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


139 


Captain Colvocoresses. I should say it was, if the surgeon knows 
of figMs going on, and I think they would do it. I think they have 
done it. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any case where they have, except 
the Branch-Meriwether case? 

Captain CoLvocoREsps. No, sir; I do not. They would make 
that report to the superintendent, as a rule; and I am very sure they 
have made no such report. I would have heard of it, because my 
attention would be instantly called to it. 

The Chairman. Is it the duty of any of the disciplinary officers to 
look over the record kept in the sick mess from time to time ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The doctors send down every day a report 
of the sick, but ‘^contusion’’ or something of that kind would not 
necessarily convey what the cause of it was, you know. 

The Chairman. Assuming, Captain, that a good many fights have 
taken place at the academy during the last two years, that no cadet 
officer has ever reported one before, and that no inquiry has been 
made by the academy authorities into his failure to do so, would you 
think it rather severe on Mr. Bean to receive 100 demerits as the first 
instance of the kind that had come to the attention of the authorities? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; not with the intention that we 
had to break up disorders and to change what seemed to be an evil 
that had grown up and was here growing all the time. It became 
necessary for us to take drastic measures. 

The Chairman. You would think it was very unfortunate for the 
boy, but necessary to make a commencement, to reestablish- 

Captain Colvocoresses. Discipline. 

The Chairman. Discipline among the cadets. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. That is my idea of it. 

The Chairman. It would seem to me. Captain, that as the practical 
head of the disciplinary department, the sick quarters would be a very 
fertile field for you to investigate from time to time for information. 
Am I correct in supposing that every officer attached to the academy, 
whether he is an instructor or a surgeon, is made by the regulations a 
part of your disciplinary force ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. He is on duty, by the regulations, at all 
times. 

The Chairman. And required by the regulations to report anything 
in the nature of a violation which comes to his attention? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That is in the regulations, sir. 

The Chairman. The department where these things would be most 
likely to come to the officers’ attention would be in the sick quarters, 
would it not, as far as relates to fighting and injuries? 

Captain Colvocoresses. If the injuries were serious, doubtless^it 
would. I do not suppose many of them are serious. 

The Chairman. If a boy comes in with a pair of black eyes, that is 
not only a serious matter, but as an indication of disorder, it is very 
plain. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Not at all. Pardon me, but that can 
occur on the athletic field, in the gymnasium, or in a hundred ways. 

The Chairman. It can. A boy can come in at this moment with a 
pair of black eyes and say, in answer to an inquiiy as to how he got 
them, that he got them in a football game yesterday. 


140 


HAZING AT THT: NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; that is a very prolific source 
of it. 

The Chairman. But there was no football game yesterday, so it 
would be fair to infer that that was not the case. 

Captain Colvocoresses. But they are practicing every evening. 
If you were to go out there you would see it. 

The Chairman. Then it would be proper for the surgeon to take 
cognizance of marks on the face, for fighting almost always leaves 
marks. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I try in all cases, unless I have good rea¬ 
son to the contrary, to accept the word of the midshipman always, 
when he talks to me. There are many doubtful cases where I say: 
“If you give me your word of honor that you did not do this, I will 
accept it unless there is evidence to the contrary.’’ I have to do so. 
I want to get them up to a high state of feeling, and I believe they 
have a very keen sense of truth. 

The Chairman. I want to see if the understanding of the surgeon 
as to this and your understanding are alike- 

Captain Colvocoresses. You see the sick quarters are entirely 
apart from us. They are away up here. When a midshipman comes 
up here we may not see him until he comes back after a week or more, 
or know anything more than the fact that he is there sick, or excused, 
by the list that is sent around in the morning. 

The Chairman, (reading): 

The Chairman. When a boy comes in there with an injury, Doctor, tell us what the pro¬ 
ceeding would be? 

Surgeon Stone. Well, it would be to examine the injury and determine what it was, and 
determine how much it incapacitates him. If it seems to be so severe that he can not go on 
with his work then he is admitted and put under treatment. 

The Chairman. Yes. Would that be all of the proceedings? 

Surgeon Stone. Of course every man that is admitted is reported each morning in the 
morning sick call, in the morning report. If anyone is admitted after the sick call in the 
morning his name is sent down to the commandant, to let them know there that he is in 
the hospital. 

The Chairman. What would your report to the commandant be? 

Surgeon Stone. Simply his name and class. 

The Chairman. Anything about the injury? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Anything about how he received it? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Is any inquiry made by you as to how he received it? 

Surgeon Stone. There would naturally be some inquiry if it was not self-evident. 

The Chairman. Were there any of them self-evident, as to how they happened? 

Surgeon Stone. Oftentimes you can form a pretty good idea of how a thing has happened. 

The Chairman. Do you ask the student? 

Surgeon Stone. Oh, yes. We generally ask them^,4««t' as you would with any other 
patient, and get what history you can of the case. We find out all that can be found out 
about it. 

The Chairman. As you do with any other patient. You mean in general practice? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then if it occurs to you to ask him how it happened you would, and if it 
did not occur to you you would not? 

Surgeon Stone. Yes. 

The Chairman. It would not be any part of your duty to inquire how it happened? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

That is from the testimony of Surgeon Stone. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Well, sir, of course the regulation is there 
before us in the book, that it is the duty of every officer to report any¬ 
thing that comes to his knowledge—any infraction of regulations. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


141 


Of course, I would not presume to say what it is necessary for a sur¬ 
geon to do in the matter. He has his ideas about it. 

The Chairman. Now, Captain, from the testimony of this surgeon, 
it seems to be his understanding of the duties of his position that he 
may either ask how it happened, or he may not—as it happens. That, 
I think, is his exact language; that no particular report is to be made 
beyond the name and nature of the injury or of the sickness. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That if it is evident that this has been produced in 
a fight and the boy does not say so, no report is made of that by the 
surgeon—that is, he considers it no part of his duty to make that 
report. 

In answer to a further question, in which the chairman read to him 
the regulation making him a part of the disciplinary force of the 
academy, and requiring him to report any evidences of violation of 
the regulations, he stated that he had not happened to have seen that. 
From all this we have gathered the impression, and are asking you if 
it is right, that the ordinary fights that take place between students 
here receive no special attention from the officers in charge. If they 
do, it would seem that the sick quarters would be the source where 
they could most easily find out about it. 

Captain Colvocoresses. If we believed, sir, that the surgeons were 
not doing their duty in that regard—but I had no idea that anyone 
would suppose up there that they should not report any infraction 
of regulations if it came to their notice. I have talked with Doctor 
Byrnes, the head surgeon, and I have not the slightest idea that 
Doctor Byrnes would allow a thing of that kind to pass him, and I 
certainly never would have dreamed that Doctor Stone would, if it 
came to his knowledge. I have known him- 

The Chairman. Is that testimony of the doctor surprising to you, 
then—the view he takes of his duty in a case originating probably in 
fighting ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. If he states that he does not report cases 
of fighting that he knew of, that came to his knowledge, I should say 
it was very peculiar, because there is a regulation governing it, and 
the physicians are supposed to inform themselves of the regulations, 
I suppose. I believe we have tried to make it clear that we desire to 
preserve good order and discipline here, and all who can help us we 
thank. 

Mr. Dawson. You presume, then, that practically all the naval 
officers stationed at the academy have knowledge of this particular 
regulation. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know what has been the general interpreta¬ 
tion of this regulation in this particular? The regulation says: ^Mt 
shall be the duty of all officers, naval and civil, at the academy, who 
have knowledge of any violation of a regulation,’’ etc., to report it. 
Do you know what interpretation the officers place upon the word 
‘^knowledge?” 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I do not. 

Mr. Dawson. Of any violation? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not. I only know what interpreta¬ 
tion 1 would put upon it. 

Mr. Dawson. What would be your interpretation of it? 



142 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Co LVOCORESSES. That if I saw a midshipman, or anybody 
else do anything contrary to regulations, I should have to report him. 

Mr. Dawson. Would you regard palpable evidences of a breach of 
discipline as coming within that phraseology of “knowledge?’’ 

Captain CoLVOCORESSES. Yes, sir; for investigation. I would 
report them to the proper authorities to have that case investigated: 
“I believe that such and such a thing has taken place; I believe a 
midshipman has frenched” or “A mid^ipman went over the wall the 
other night, and I would like to have it investigated.” It would be 
reported to me, and it would then become my duty to investigate it. 

Mr. Dawson. You would regard plain evidences of a breach of 
discipline as coming within the scope of this regulation ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman, Captain, do you know that the officers who assist 
you- —the naval officers who assist you—as a part of your disciplinary 
force, do not take the same view of reports on fist fights that the 
surgeon evidently does ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not know, sir, what their views 
would be; but I fancy they agree with mine. As I said, it would be 
the duty of anyone having knowledge of that kind to report it. 

The Chairman. You do not know, then, whether or not they have 
had knowledge of these fights, and failed to report them, as the 
surgeon has. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Tome? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I am very sure that there is no 
officer in the disciplinary department that has failed to report any¬ 
thing of that kind. 

The Chairman. Of course I do not know what your opinion is. I 
suppose you have none except to enforce the regulations. My own 
opinion is that personal differences, leading to personal encounters 
will always take place where eight or nine hundred boys are gathered 
together. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; that is very natural. 

The Chairman. I think it is impossible to prevent it. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And some might argue that it is not desirable to 
attempt to do any more than to regulate it. What I had in mind 
was the particular case of this youn^ Bean. If the other disciplinary 
officers took the view of it which the surgeon seems to have taken, 
that it was not a matter except in case of serious injury, which needed 
reporting—if it was merely a black eye or a cut lip that there was no 
particular necessity of reporting it—and if no cadet officer had 
reported any fight back as far as you know, might not young Bean and 
the other young men who were acting as seconds or in some other 
capacity in this Meriwether-Branch fight, reasonably have assumed 
that they were not committing breaches of regulations such as would 
be taken notice of by the authorities? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Decidedly not, sir. I think the young 
men would take their cue as to their ideas of discipline from the disci¬ 
pline officers, and not from the surgeon. I think, furthermore, that 
their scattering and giving warning that the officer in charge was 
coming at that time, showed very clearly what views they had of how 
he would look upon it. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


143 


The Chairman. Would not the cadet officers presume that the 
disciplinary officers were familiar with cases of injury that went to 
the sick quarters ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir ; I think they would not presume 
anything of that kind, because as I have said we do not see those 
young men after they go to the hospital. They are entirely removed 
from our purview. They come way up to this building here, and they 
remain until they are well. 

The Chairman. Do you not think if all of the surgeons there 
entertain the views Doctor Stone does, that there is a chance to knit 
together your disciplinary forces a little closer? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Possibly that is so. Yet vou are trench¬ 
ing there on something that carries us back to the ola line and staff. 
The surgeons have control completely in their hospital. Unless 
there is a breach of order I would not go there and interfere. I pre¬ 
sume everything is being carried on at the hospital according to the 
Tides and right, and I could not go there and interfere with a man and 
get him out of bed, if I thought he was shirking. If the doctor says 
he is sick, whatever my individual opinion may be- 

The Chairman. That is a branch of it that I am not touching upon; 
but I assume the surgeons are subject to the orders of the superin¬ 
tendent ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then it would be within the province of the super¬ 
intendent to issue such orders to the surgeons as to requhe them in 
all cases of personal injury to inquire as to the origin of the injury? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Undoubtedly. 

The Chairman. If it was such a case as would invite the suspicion 
that fighting had taken place, they should make a report of that ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Undoubtedly. 

The Chairman. So that the case could be examined? 

Captain Colvocoresses. There would be no question about it. 
In my conversations with Doctor Byrnes, I feel perfectly assured that 
he would do so. He is the head surgeon, and of course these subordi¬ 
nates would make their reports to him. 

The Chairman. There is no present number of demerits assigned 
for fighting ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I have to consider it as gross 
disorder. 

The Chairman. In each case it is left to the judgment of the 
officers ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What is the limit of demerits for gross disorder—the 
maximum? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Fifty demerits is what we give for that. 

Mr. Gregg. Fifty. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. These young men that you gave 100 demerits to— 
what did you consider their offense; failing to report? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They were also accessories to a fight. 

Mr. Gregg. You give them 50 for being accessories? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Fifty for their conduct. They left their 
duty and their companies when they should have marched in to 
supper. It was a gross neglect of duty. That was 50 demerits. 



144 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


They took part in a gross disorder which was another 50 demerits. 
That is the way I have to couple it up. 

The Chairman. Was Mr. Bean a cadet officer? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; Bean was not a cadet officer, if 
I remember aright. He was in charge of the floor on duty up there 
in the corridor, and those young men are placed there for the purpose 
of preserving good order, and reporting any infractions of regulations. 

The Chairman. That would be an important factor in determining 
the number of demerits? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That he was in a position of trust- 

Captain Colvocoresses. It is most important. 

The Chairman. And violated his trust, besides breach of discipline 
in this connection? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir: he was regarded as cognizant 
of this thing having taken place. 

Mr. Gregg. So you punished him as an accessory to the fight as 
well as for neglect of duty? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think so. 

The Chairman. Mr. Dawson suggests that we have not heard 
before of a cadet in charge of a corridor. We supposed that the 
cadet officers performed all the duties of the companies. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Oh, no, sir; the cadets of the first and 
second classes are detailed to take charge of these corridors in turn. 
One of the first class men is superintendent in charge of the corridor, 
and he and his assistants have general supervision over it. 

The Chairman. How long a turn does each one have? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They go on at 7 o’clock in the evening 
and remain until 7 o’clock the next evening, when they are relieved. 
They are not on duty, of course, at night, because they turn in after 
taps, at 10.30, after the lights are all out. 

The Chairman. They go on at 7 o’clock in the evening? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then do they go to bed at the usual hour? 

Captain Colvocoresses. After taps; after the lights are out; yes, 
sir. Then next morning after reveille they resume the duties for 
that day. 

The Chairman. They are continuously on duty from 6 o’clock in 
the morning until bedtime? 

Captian Colvocoresses. They are relieved for meals. 

The Chairman. Seven o’clock is after supper hour, is it not? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The next day, following, they are 
relieved for meals. 

The Chairman. But from 7 until 10 each evening, they are con¬ 
tinually on duty? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They lose their study hours? 

Captain Colvocoresses. .They lose their study hours for hatt 
day. They are permitted to study when it does not interfere with 
their duties. They have a desk and light, and they sit down and 
study. 

The Chairman. In the corridor. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are supposed to sit in the angle of 
corridor so they can look down two corridors and see all that" is 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


145 


unlawful, and what is going on there—disturbances or anything of 
that kind. 

The Chairman. And if all is quiet they are permitted to study? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. How many of those officers in charge are there in 
Bancroft Hall? 

Captain Colvocoresses. On each floor, in each wing, there are 
about sixteen to eighteen there all the time. 

Mr. Dawson. Who are they directlv responsible to? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The midsliipman officer of the day, and 
he to the commissioned officer in charge. There are two officers of 
the day, one for each wing. 

The Chairman. Captain, are you confident that vour present sys¬ 
tem of self-discipline, by means of cadet officers, will be sufficient to 
enable you to suppress hazing in the future? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I have the greatest confidence in it, sir. 

The Chairman. You rely largely upon your board of investiga¬ 
tion, which will convene from time to time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they put the boys under oath at that time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; the Superintendent can order 
a board which will be empowered to administer oaths. 

The Chairman. I suppose. Captain, we can almost say that the 
whole student body above the fourth class has been involved in this 
hazing, as it is denned by the Attorney-General? 

Captain Colvocoresses. It would look so, sir, from what I read; 
but of personal knowledge I have not that information. 

The Chairman. Do you know as to the class of cases that have 
been brought before the court-martial; have they been the worst 
cases? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That I could not say, sir, because my 
duties have been such that I have not been able to determine^ I 
am trying to write regulations, and I am pretty busy seeing so many 
of the young men. I was not able to attend the sessions of the court. 
I do not know that it would have been proper to have done so. It 
would have been too much leisure and pleasure to have listened to 
the legal arguments. I have only knowledge, therefore, in a general 
way, by reading the papers, of what has been done. There is a vast 
mass of testimony, I suppose. There must be 1,000 pages as to 
what has taken place, and I hope to be able to become familiar with 
some of it. 

The Chairman. We have some knowledge as to it. We have already 
read some 600 or 700 pages. 

Captain Colvocoresses. But I think I have a pretty good general 
idea of it. 

The Chairman. Your understanding is. Captain, that the term 
“hazing'" as defined by the Attorney-General, covers any form of 
coercion? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Without authority? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Of the most trivial character? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-10 


146 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. And therefore, under the present law, tlie Superin¬ 
tendent would be required to bring such a cadet before a court-martial 
and dismiss him? 

Captain Colvocoresses. If he felt the charges were proved; yes, 
sir. 

The Chairman. That the court-martial will determine. 

Captain Colvocoresses. If proved he has got to do that. He has 
no discretion at all. 

The Chairman. Do you think in order to maintain the discipline 
of the Academy it is necessary to have that law continue in force ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think it is necessary, sir, to have a most 
severe law against hazing, which may be used at the discretion of the 
Superintendent and the Secretary of the Navy. 

The Chairman. That is, you would consider the law proper and 
just as applied to hazing which is brutal or cruel? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Most decidedly, sir. 

The Chairman. But in trivial cases of hazing would you think less 
punishment would be advisable? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I should think so, sir, because it takes 
such a very trivial form in some cases that it is mere child^s play. 

The Chairman. Would it not be much more dificult to secure 
knowledge of hazing, and conviction, if the cases were trivial, owing 
to the punishment being too severe? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; that is true, and I have no 
doubt that is the reason for this drastic law—that they are deter¬ 
mined to stamp the whole thing out, and to get a Draconian law that 
you can not get around. 

The Chairman. From the knowledge you have gained as com¬ 
mandant of cadets, would you think a law better which would enforce 
dismissal against brutal, cruel hazing, but which would enable the 
authorities to inflict a lesser punishment upon milder cases of hazing ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do, sir; and I think if a dismissal is 
sunimary, without the agony of a court martial, and so on, a great 
deal better results would be obtained. One of our great troubles here 
at the present moment is this. The boys who know that they are 
going to be dismissed, or those who have dropped their studies, just 
continue on here for days. They know they are not going to stay, 
and they do not take any interest in keeping up the discipline or 
doing right. It is very natural, and it is the boyish way to do. So 
when a young man is hanging on by his eyelids with regard to a court- 
martial, it is not possible to maintain the discipline as it should be 
maintained. 

The Chairman. He is a disturbing element ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. A disturbing element; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. How would you regulate the trivial cases of hazing; 
by the demerit system ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. By the demerit system; yes, sir. We 
have, of course, other means which we can use. They can be given 
extra guard duty—made to perform guard duty with a musket dur¬ 
ing recreation hours. They can be confined to their rooms. They 
can be deprived of liberty, of going out in town, and various things of 
that kind. Measures can be taken in addition to the demerits, at the 
discretion of the superintendent. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it 5 mur judgment, then, that the law ought to be so 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


147 


framed as to specify that for those trivial cases the superintendent 
may inflict such punishment as he deems commensurate to the offense ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That is my belief, sir. I think it would 
save a great deal of trouble, and save some very good men to the serv¬ 
ice who have simply done boyish tricks, that outside would not have 
been considered anything. But they run right up against a stone 
wall here, and we have to do our duty. 

Mr. Gregg. Then your judgment would be that the law ought to 
be so framed that the aggravated cases can be punished by summary 
dismissal ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. And the lesser offenses left to such punishment as may 
be inflicted by the superintendent ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; with the approval of the Secre¬ 
tary. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you think for those little trivial offenses it would 
be necessary to have the approval of the Secretary of the Navy? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I do not. I think if it were left 
in the superintendent's hands he could attend to it; but if it were a 
grave matter, in order to get full dismissal, you would have to have 
the approval of the Secrstary of the Navy. 

Mr. Gregg. I am not speaking of dismissal cases, but of minor 
cases. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Captain, I want to find out a little more about the 
demerit system. Mere offenses against regulations in a class room, 
for example, would be reported by the officer or the professor in 
charge there? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Who would judge as to the number of demerits 
that were necessary for the offenses? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I should, sir, under the superintendent. 

The Chairman. The professor or officer in charge of the room, the 
instructor, would simply make a report of it without indicating the 
amount of the demerits? 

Captain Colvocoresses. If you will look at them, you will see 
that they are classified, and that the wording of some of the reports, 
for example, is ‘‘Gross disobedience of orders;’^ “Deliberate diso¬ 
bedience of orders’^ would be fifteen demerits right off. 

The Chairman. Can you tell us what page that is on? Is that in 
the interior regulations ? That is an interior regulation, is it not ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; you will see it there. They are 
classified there. It is sometimes quite difficult to get them under 
some of those classes. For instance, fighting in the book there is con¬ 
sidered as coming under the head of 50 demerits. It was so con¬ 
sidered. 

Mr. Gregg. That is, a deliberate fight? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But suppose two boys just happened to come together 
and one insulted the other and was knocked down, or something of 
that kind? 

Captain Colvocoresses. If he is actually reported for fighting, I 
would have to give him 50 demerits. 

Mr. Gregg. Regardless of the nature of the fight? 


148 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. Fighting is forbidden by the Navy 
regulations, and anyone who strikes, assaults, or attempts to strike 
or assault another person in the Navy, using provoking gestures, 
words, menaces, etc., all come under the head of fighting. 

The Chairman. I suppose you can imagine insults offered 3^11 
which you would resent upon the spot ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I can. It is one of the hardest things 
I have to contend with. I know it. 

The Chairman. Would you make any distinction regarding a 
personal fight between two cadets, as to the person who had provoked 
the fight and the one who simply defended himself, and who resented, 
perhaps, a profound insult? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I would, indeed; and the man who 
resented what I thought to be an unpardonable insult I would give 
every indulgence that I could consistent with good order and dis¬ 
cipline. I should have to do that. Human nature is pretty strong 
in all of us. 

Mr. Gregg. There is lots of human nature in a man. 

The Chairman. I imagine that is the view of a great many peo¬ 
ple. Even men so wise as Members of Congress, sitting as the law¬ 
makers of the country, have been known to have personal encounters 
in the House of Representatives, with the assembled multitudes look¬ 
ing down upon them. That is one of the weaknesses of human nature. 
It is for this reason that I have been inquiring so closely as to whether 
cases of personal difference resulting in a personal encounters between 
cadets, where no particular damage arose from it, were not to some 
extent overlooked by the disciplinary authorities. 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I do not think the 3 ^ are. I 
think they would be reported, and then it would be up to the super¬ 
intendent and myself to judge of that matter. 

The Chairman. I know sometimes in schools, as a matter of dis- 
'Cipline, it is considered wise not to see everything. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; but I do not know of an 3 "thing 
of that kind. 

The Chairman. You are familiar with the markings in the Bean 
case, are you. Captain? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The markings? 

The Chairman. The markings of demerits. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think he got one hundred demerits. 
That is my impression. 

The Chairman. That is, for participation in the fight? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. He got how many demerits for what was called 
insubordination in*the class room? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think that is seventy-five. 

The Chairman. Do you remember the details of the insubordi¬ 
nation ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Why, he repeatedly approached the 
instructor about his work, and I think he left the room. That is the 
best of my recollection. I think he left the room without completing 
his work, and showed great insubordination. Of course an exami¬ 
nation has to be rather a solemn occasion. The men have to keep 
very quiet and do their work. And disturbance is very much dis¬ 
credited. But he insisted. Commander Muir was the officer, if I 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


149 


remember rightly, who made the report to the head of the depart¬ 
ment, and it came so direct and straight there was not any question 
raised. I do not think Mr. Bean made any particular objection to 
the report as to the facts. 

The Chairman. You never have talked with Mr. Bean yourself? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I had some conversation with him at 
the time; but I know he did not impress me as having been abused 
by the report; that the report was not in any way exaggerated. 

The Chairman. Did his statement of the facts, as they occurred,, 
differ from the report of the professor in charge ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not think they did, sir. I am not 
sure. I would have to look up the matter. You know when a mid¬ 
shipman is reported, the report is posted. It is read out at formation, 
and then that report is put on the bulletin board, and he has twelve 
hours or more to consider it. By the next morning, if he desires, he 
sends in a statement; or if he does not wish to send in a statement 
I always let them come and see me if they want to. 

The Chairman. He sends it to you? 

Captain Colvocoresses. He sends it to me, or it goes to the divi¬ 
sional officer. The divisional officer is one ol these four lieutenant- 
commanders that I have spoken of in the disciplinary department. 
He reads that statement and compares it with the report. A report 
is made on what is called a ‘‘delinquency” sheet, made out in blank,, 
stating the name, the class, the date, and the offense, with a column 
for remarks, where the officer can put in the circumstances, if he 
desires, attending that report. They generally do, in all serious re¬ 
ports. All serious reports are referred immediately to me by the 
officer in charge of that division. He settles the minor reports 
because they are generally following the schedule laid down in that 
book, and there is no trouble. If the excuse sent in, or the state¬ 
ment, differs, that is referred to me; but all serious reports come to 
me direct, and I give what I think is right as to demerits, according 
to the schedule. Then I take them over to the superintendent in 
the morning and call his attention to these reports when they are 
serious, and we talk about them, and the d('merits are determined in 
that way. 

The Chairman. I understand the boy’s statement now is that he 
had finished his work. This was during examination, was it not? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And that in examinations that were held in other 
rooms upon other subjects he had been permitted to finish his work 
and hand it in and leave. 

. Captain Colvocoresses. Yes. 

The Chairm%vn. That he did not understand it was contrary to 
regulations ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes. 

The Chairman. That he asked Professor Muir for permission to 
leave the room upon having finished his work: that his request was 
refused ; that he then stated to the prolessor that he made the request 
because he had been permitted in other examinations to leave when 
he was through. Captain, I wish you would look up the facts more 
carefully, so that you may be sure that your memory serves you 
correctly, and so that before we get away we may get a correct state¬ 
ment as you understand it. 


150 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. Mj recollection is entirely as I have 
given it. In the first place, I will say that it is never considered that 
the pupil has the right to judge oi when his work is completed. If 
he hacl had absolutely everv sheet with every example upon it— 
wnich I doubt very much if Mr. Bean had—even then if he asked 
the instructor to allow him to go out, it was entirely within the office 
of that instructor to refuse, if he desired, and if the student insisted 
upon that it would be highly improper on the part of the midship¬ 
man. He ought to be satisfied with that. My recollection is that 
Mr. Muir found the work was not completed at all, and he did not 
desire to have them leaving in that way. 

The Chairman. He would desire to have them put all the time 
upon their lessons? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Precisely. It is to the interest of the 
young men to do that. 

The Chairman. And to continue to work until the end of the time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Some people get discouraged and dis¬ 
gusted, and they say ‘‘I am going to give this up; I am not going to 
try.’' 

"The Chairman. And if he did as he wanted to, it would disturb the 
balance of the class to have students dropping out one or two at a 
time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; that is sometimes done, too. 
It is entirely within the purview of the instructor, and no one could 
have any right to claim it. 

Mr. Dawson. Is it a part or your duty, captain, to revise the regu¬ 
lations for the aiscipline of the academy ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; as far as I can. 

Mr. Dawson. Did I understand you to say that you were engaged 
in some revision of the present regulations? 

Captain Colvocoresses. We are rewriting the whole thing, sir. 
If you will notice that book there, you will see how interleaved it is 
with all sorts of orders. That book was gotten up when they were 
in an entirely different building up here. It does not apply at all 
to our hall as we have it now, so it is necessary to rewrite the whole 
thing, practically. Of course very much of that rem’ains as it is. 

Mr. Dawson. These regulations were compiled—or printed, at any 
rate—in 1901? 

Captain Colvocoresses. 1901; yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Five years ago? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; that is the latest we have. 

Mr. Dawson. Can you tell me whether the new regulations will be 
materially changed from these in the matter of discipline? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. There will be two very impor¬ 
tant things that are not dwelt upon in that book—hazing and fight¬ 
ing. They will be particularly dwelt upon. Another thing which is 
an innovation and which has never taken place here. They have 
often referred to the regulations for the better government of the 
Navy. They will be incorporated in that book" That is a little 
pamphlet, perhaps 10 or 12 pages. 

Mr. Dawson. What is the title of that? 

Captain Colvocoresses. The Articles for the Better Government 
of the Navy. 

Mr. Dawson. These new regulations are all ready for printing 
when it is seen fit ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


151 


Captain Colvocoresses. When I can get a typewriter. You are 
aware of the West Point regulations, which came up on the Booz 
case, on the subject of hazing? 

Mr. Dawson. Yes. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I was going to incorporate the whole of 
that, but I thought possibly the law would be so that it would not 
apply in our case. I do not know. I thought it wise to wait until 
we should see if the law would be abolished in regard to that matter. 
Then fighting I have dwelt on, going back to duelling, challenging, 
or acting as second, or having anvthing to do with it, or provoking 
or animadverting against a man for making a report, and all those 
things. I thought we would get in everything we could, covering 
the case thoroughly. 

Mr. Dawson. These amendments have been suggested by the 
recent disclosures in the academy, I presume? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There has been some information given us by one 
of the minshipmen in relation to fighting. 1 have not gone through 
it, but it was enough to show that there were quite a number of fights 
at this academy- 

Captain Colvocoresses. I would like to say that I remember one 
of the cadet officers, I think Mr. Noyes, telling me that he had been 
a second in 19 fights since he had been in the academy. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Captain Colvocoresses. That was, of course, all previous to the 
Branch-Meriwether fight. 

The Chairman. Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Fitch, who was formerly 
here, but I think has graduated- 

Captain Colvocoresses. He has graduated. 

The Chairman. Together they counted up 40 fights since they 
have been here, but I suppose that covers a period of three years. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That would be an average of 13 a year. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. No one of them could recollect that a cadet officer 
in charge had ever reported one of these fights. 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir. 

The Chairman. So that, according to that testimony, 40 fights 
have occurred in the last three years, in no one of which had a cadet 
officer reported it. Do you not think that would pretty well estab¬ 
lish in the minds of the cadet officers the fact that it was a matter of 
common usage which should not be reported ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Perhaps it might, sir; but I do not think 
it is quite fair to judge of what officers think by what the midship¬ 
men have thought up to this time. You are perfectly aware, I sup¬ 
pose, sir, that they have formed laws unto themselves—rates, and so 
on—due to the condition of affairs here, that no officer, I am sure, 
would ever countenance in any way. 

The Chairman. Well, captain, if I were a midshipman in this 
school and a cadet officer, and I knew that during all the years that 
iThad been here fights averaging to the number of 13 a year had taken 
place, and that in almost every case, as the evidence here shows, one 
or both of the combatants went to the hospital for treatment 

Captain Colvocoresses. Was that the case? As many of them 
went to the hospital as that ? 




152 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. That is the testimony, that one or both in almost 
every case went for some treatment, either to have an eye painted or 
treatment of a more extensive nature. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Knowing also that the regulations made the hos¬ 
pital surgeons a part of the disciplinary management of the school, 
and assuming that the knowledge on the records of the sick quarters 
was reported to the superior officers in the academy- 

Captain Colvocoresses. But you see they were not, as to the char¬ 
acter of hurts at all. 

The Chairman. It seems to me I would fairly pesume, if I were the 
cadet officer, that even if there was a regulation of that kind it had 
fallen into disuse and had not been enforced for so long that I might 
perhaps be excused for not reporting it myself. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Would you apply that same reasoning to 
frenching, sir, or playing cards, or drinking, because you knew it did 
exist, and you knew that the cadet officers were participating in it? 

The Chairman. I would apply the same reasoning to any other 
offense against the regulations where the facts upon the very surface of 
them showed so strong a presumption that the authorities must know 
of the practice of fighting. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Well, sir, take for instance the case of a 
cadet officer who habitually, as appeared in one of the court-martial 
cases, many, many times, up in the teens, absented himself from mess, 
and had his meals brought up to him by a fourth class man. Certainly 
no one would assume from that, I hope, that the officers would ever 
countenance an 3 dhing of that kind. It was a common practice of the 
cadet officers to wink at it. Also, I am informed, men would go to 
Baltimore and stay there two or three days, and the reports of absence 
were torn up by tne then cadet officers and never reached the offi¬ 
cers themselves. 

The Chairman. Suppose it should be a matter of proof that the 
disciplinary officers of the academy, thirteen or fourteen times a year 
for three years had gone by rooms in Bancroft Hall and noticed upper 
class men eating their meals in their rooms; would that be a fair indi¬ 
cation that that particular regulation had rather fallen into disuse—or 
rather the enforcement of it ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. That officer ought not to be here for a 
moment, sir. I can not imagine, really, an officer in the discipline 
department allowing a thing like that. 

The Chairman. I am apphdng the same circumstances- 

Captain Colvocoresses. If such things as that were permitted, I 
can only say that I am sorry that it has occurred—if there is such a 
case. 

The Chairman. That is merely a hypothetical case, in regard to the 
meals. In regard to fighting it is an actual case. A large number of 
them have for several years gone to the hospital where the officers are 
who, under the rules of the academ^q are a part of the disciplinary 
force. They are there treated for the injuries received in these fights. 
In no instance during the three years has any one of the cadet officers 
ever been questioned about it, as it appears, nor reprimanded, n6r 
punished in any way, until it comes up to one particular fight here 
where there was a serious injury. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


153 


The Chairman. And then the participants are all punished for tak¬ 
ing part in it. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I will say freely, sir, that these young 
men seemed utterly dumbfounded and astonished when they were 
overhauled for it; but it was the first time I had ever had a chance to 
get at them and give them my views on the subject. I am afraid that 
some of them had an idea that I was a good deal of an old fogy who 
would allow himself to be imposed on. They seem to think that their 
code of honor, as they had it, was a first-rate thing, and much to be 
applauded. 

The Chairman. When did you first learn that a sort of an agree¬ 
ment had been made between Admiral Brownson and the different 
classes here in relation to hazing? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I heard that rumor when I came here, sir, 
and I called on Admiral Brownson at his house and he told me that 
hazing was a thing of the past, utterly abolished, and that I would not 
have that trouble to deal with. 

The Chairman. Did he say anything to you about the means he 
had employed? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; but he was perfectly convinced 
that hazing did not exist. 

The Chairman. Did he say anything to you about his having ab¬ 
solved the classes from the agreement made with him? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I never heard of such a thing 
until after some of the midshipmen stated that to be the case. 

The Chairman. Do you think, in view of what has taken place 
since, that the midshipmen construed the action of Admiral Brownson 
in withdrawing the pledge that they had given him, and absolving 
them from it in future, as some warrant for them to again take up this 
practice which had prevailed before they gave this pledge ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. It is possible, sir; but yet it is discredit¬ 
ing their good intelligence, for they are very bright boys and they 
know it is not allowed. They know fighting is not allowed. They 
know all these things are not allowed, and when they try to argue that 
any officer, were he so indiscreet as to absolve them from any such 
thing, would have the power to do so, they would know that it was 
wrong. They know what is right and they know what is wrong as well 
as you and I. They know hazing is wrong and against the law of the 
land. Every effort has been made to stop it, and they are very shy 
about letting it be known. 

The Chairman. Doubtless that ought to be true, but as a matter of 
fact, in view of what has occurred, do you not think the midshipmen 
construed it as releasing them from thier obligation not to haze? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They say so, sir. 

The Chairman. Whether the impression was wrong or not that is 
the impression they received ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Some of them have said so. I have 
understood that they thought so; but there is no excuse for it, sir. 
Pardon me for going into something that may seem to you extraneous, 
but it is on this subject. When we started in, I called all the cadet 
officers and petty officers of the first class into Memorial Hall down 
there- 

The Chairman. That was in October? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; and I told them I had under- 



154 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


stood that they had made pledges not to haze, gouge, nor french to 
Admiral Brownson; that I understood that they regarded themselves 
as freed from those pledges, they having been personal pledges; that 
I did not want to argue about the possibility of their being released 
from any such pledges by anyone, but I would put them right straight 
back to what they did when they entered the academy. They took an 
oath to obey the regulations of the Naval Academy, the orders of the 
officers placed over them, and the regulations of the United States 
Navy; that all these things were expressly prohibited by them, and 
they had taken an oath Avhicli I considered more binding than any 
pledge they could afterwards make to abstain from this sort of thing, 
and that they would be dealt with accordingly. Had those young 
men taken my warning at that time, sir—and I just Avant to state 
this in justice to the authorities here—neither the Branch-MerivA^ether 
fight nor the hazing that has subsequently taken place AA^ould have 
occurred, because I told them they Avwe cadet officers placed here by 
the necessities of the Government to do work that was highly respon¬ 
sible, and that they must rise to that responsibility; that it Avas pos¬ 
sible that Congress might pass a laAV making them ensigns, and that 
if they did so, they would Avant to know what kind of men they were, 
whether they were fit to be commissioned, and that it AA^as up to them 
to show by their good conduct and strict attention to duty and dis¬ 
cipline that they were going to do their duty right straight up to the 
handle. That is what I said to them at the commencement of this 
term. 

Mr. Dawson. At the same time, Captain, did you give any instruc¬ 
tion to the fourth class men on this particular subject of hazing— 
that is, were they called together and instructed as to their rights ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; no; because there are some 
things that have developed that I neA^er dreamed of. During the 
summer the only thing that I ever saAA^ that led to any suspicion that 
there were AAffiat you call rates—you know the different classes have 
different rates- 

Mr. Dawson. Yes, sir. 

Captain Colaworesses. I found that the fourth class men were 
hugging the Av^all, and I inquired into it. I noticed the felloAv^s going 
up and doAAUi stairs aa^ouM always be on the inside, and I inquired why 
it was, especially as I found my AA^axed floor Avas being AA^orn a good 
deal there. They said, ^‘That is a rate.^’ I immediately gave orders 
that they should AA^alk on the center of the linoleum, and AAdienever I 
met them I took the Avail myself. They used to look very funny. I 
learned afterwards, long afterwards, that a feAv days aftenvards, the 
upper class men, in order to hold their rate good, repeated the order 
that I had, given, that the rate Avas noAV to Avalk in the center of the 
floor and not against the Avail. They accepted it, and took it, and it 
was carried out. They all obeyed it. That Avas more efficient than 
my order Avas. That Avas the only thing I ever saAv in the Avay of haz¬ 
ing at all. Once one of the officers in'charge told me that'a senior 
class man in passing a fourth class man in the ranks had told him to 
brace up—-that is, to hold his head up and carry his elbows in and 
stand straight. I said I could not consider that hazing. That is a 
part of our training here. We could not go into that matter. 

Mr. Dawson. After this direction AAdiich you gave to the officers at 
the outset of the school year, you regarded that as a sufficient precau¬ 
tion for the protection of the neAV cadets from hazing? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


155 


Captain Colvocokesses. Indeed I did. I mentioned hazing espe¬ 
cially. Not only that, but I went down to the first meeting of the 
Young Men’s Christian Association that was held here at the request 
of the chaplain, and I thought it was a good time to get in my say, to 
help along the cause, and I told them I considered that the practical 
application of Young Men’s Christian Association ideas could take 
place right here and now and immediately, better than anything I 
knew of, by showing kindness and consideration to the young fellows 
who come here homesick, and a good many of them disgusted; and 
that I thought that if they would apply their Christianity by showing 
brotherly good will toward them it was the best evidence they could 
give of their Christian spirit. No, sir; the question in the case had 
been clearly put to these young men, but I tell you they had made up 
their minds to follow the Dad customs that had existed here for a long 
time, apparently, and to make a law unto themselves. They had re¬ 
served the right to do certain things, and it has been the hardest 
thing we have had to do to break down that spirit. I think it is 
pretty well broken now. 

Mr. Dawson. There were no orders issued giving special punish¬ 
ment for offenses in the way of hazing at the commencement? 

Captain Colvocokesses. No, sir. 

The Chairman. The act of March, 1903, required that the super¬ 
intendent of the Naval Academy—you are familiar with it? 

Captain Colvocokesses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Required that the superintendent of the Naval 
Academy shall issue such special rules and regulations as shall tend to 
do away with hazing. 

Captain Colvocokesses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know if anything along that line has been 
done since the law was passed? 

Captain Colvocokesses. No, sir; I do not. 

The Chairman. Nothing has been done—you mean no special 
rules have been issued ? 

Captain Colvocokesses. No special arrangements have been made 
outside of the usual precautions that are taken to preserve good order 
and law. There has been no special set of rules, such as I find in the 
West Point regulations. 

The Chairman. The new regulations, which will be promulgated 
soon, do they contain anything along this line? 

Captain Colvocokesses. They contain everything that could pos¬ 
sibly be construed into hazing. There could not be any mistake. I 
suppose there are two or three pages on the subject; also fighting. 

The Chairman. Is there anything else, Captain, that you think of 
that you would like to say to the commitee in relation to the manage¬ 
ment here or the discipline ? • t i j 

Captain Colvocokesses. There are one or two things I would like 
to speak about to you, sir. I would like to speak about the very dis¬ 
organized and bad condition regarding the mess attendance here. 
There are considerably over one hundred boy^ that are brought in 
from the purlieus of Annapolis, many of them very small—not over 14 
years of age—dirty beyond degree, and they are the ones that have to 
provide the food or furnish it to the table to our young men. I 
think it is the most demoralizing thing. 

The Chairman. The waiters? 


156 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain CoLVOCORESSES. The waiters; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They have nothing to do with the preparation of 
the food ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No; we have certain cooks, but the whole 
force in my opinion ought to be known as a mess attendants class 
who are ship men. These boys get very small wages. I think $10 
a month is what they get, and many of them have only one suit of 
clothes. 

The Chairman. Are they colored ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Colored, all of them—black as the ace of 
spades, most of them, and of the lowest type of colored people. They 
work here for a little time. They are not under military discipline. 
They are citizens and we can not do anything to them. Whereas, if 
they were enlisted men we could have them under training and we 
would let them sleep here. These boys go out to different places, 
and I have not any doubt that they can bring in disease at any 
time—smallpox or anything else. 

The Chairman. Is it thought that the epidemic of diphtheria was 
so brought in? 

Captain Colvocoressess. Many have thought so. 

The Chairman. Was there anything tending to show that that is 
true ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I think the surgeons consider that it was 
brought in from the outside, but we have had so many outside forces 
in—all the workmen that have been here, and that are still working 
on that building there, and these mess attendants—that it would be 
quite impossible, I think, to establish where it came from. I should 
like very much to see them changed and to get a force of regu ar mess 
attendants of the Navy, who are enlisted men, and who get wages 
enough to be decent and clean. I would like to see them sent here to 
do the work. With that great building I have only one orderly for the 
purpose of patroling it. There should be two on duty all the time. 
This man is the only one awake in that building to patrol it night and 
day. At night, when they are all turned in he has to go through 
these miles of corridors. There ought to be several men. Oiir 
masters-at-arms ought to be doubled—our watchmen here. I merely 
speak of these things because they come in a general way under my 
observation. They are excellent men, who have been here a long 
time, and they are getting old; but there is no one to take their places, 
and they are not sufficient. If we are to have very careful supervision 
of the midshipmen and not trust to them we have got to have a great 
many more officers in the discipline department. 

Mr. Dawson. Would it be practicable to have all four of the dis¬ 
ciplinary officers under you eat their meals in the mess hall at the 
same time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; it would not, under the present 
arrangements at all, because they are cjuartered outside, and they 
have their families and everything of that kind. It is one of the most 
onerous positions, I^assure you, gentlemen, in the service. I am 
afraid we are going to have the greatest difficulty in getting officers to 
come into that department. 

Mr. Dawson. Into the discipline department. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. We have to find fault all the 
time. Some of the boys are in trouble, and I have to see all of the 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


157 


young men. I have to say pleasant things and do pleasant things, 
and to be on the alert all the time there. These officers are some¬ 
times up until 2 and 3 o’clock in the morning. They are pestered 
and bothered by all sorts of things, and it is enough to make a man’s 
nerves shake early. 

Mr. Dawson. Would it do any good to adopt here the practice at 
West Point of putting only bachelor officers in those disciplinary 
positions ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. If you can get the bachelor officers; yes, 
sir. Naval officers marry very young, somehow. Then, the building 
is not suited for that. The building at West Point, as I understand, 
was built with that in view, and they have their officers’ quarters so 
arranged that they are not- 

Mr. Dawson. My questions were directed with special reference to 
the mess hall, where it appears from the testimony a great many in¬ 
fractions of the regulations have taken place, by reason of the 
immense size of the mess hall and the presence of only one officer in 
the center of it. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I do not think that can be 
remedied, except by placing a great many guards in there. You 
could have marine orderlies there instructed to report to the officer, 
but we object very much, and you can understand why, to having 
those privates come in and take these embryo officers and report them. 
If we can get the boys up to a proper standard it will not be necessary. 

Mr. Dawson. That would not be in accord with your idea of plac¬ 
ing the responsibility on the upper class men? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No; it would not. They would then feel 
at once absolved. They would say: ‘ ‘ If we can escape that watchman, 
or that orderly, our responsibility has ceased. We are not called 
upon to do anything that we can avoid doing.” 

The Chairman. Speaking of these attendants on board ship, they 
are regular enlisted men, assigned for the duty? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are shipped as a class—mess attend¬ 
ants. 

The Chairman. They are shipped as a class by themselves? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then your idea is that out of all those who enlist in 
the Navy as—^what do you call them? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Mess attendants. 

The Chairman. A suffic ent number should be assigned here? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It would take about one hundred of them? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; 115 or 120. That is what they 
had here when the diphtheria broke out. They sent a whole lot from 
Norfolk here. Of course we could exerc se no quarantine at all with 
the bovs going in and out to town. 

The ‘^Chairman. Are they kept on one ship during the course of 
their enlistment, or is that as it happens ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. As it happens. 

The Chairman. If a ship goes out of commission they go some¬ 
where else? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Would you have them remain here during the term 
of their enlistment? 



158 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. Yes; and they would go on the practice 
cruise. We would have them cjuartered on the Hartford or the Santee, 
or in a building where they can have every convenience for keeping 
clean and can sleep. 

The Chairman. Would there be accommodations here for them 
without building more? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes; the Hartford and the Santee are 
both available. 

The Chairman. They could be used all the time? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. I do not know whether you 
would like to have me speak about other matters. This question 
about the watchmen has troubled me, because I think they are very 
worthy men, and I do not see that there is much chance for them. 
Several of them are old soldiers and sailors, and they are getting old 
and there is no provision for their future, and there are no persons 
coming in to take their places. 

The Chairman. Is it not within the province of the Navy Depart¬ 
ment to send them somewhere else and send in new ones ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Thev can not do anything with them. 
All such people come in now under the civil service. 

The Chairman. They are not in the naval service? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir. 

The Chairman. They are merely the ordinary watchmen of the 
building ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. They perform general police duty around 
the yard. 

The Chairman. Under whose direction are they? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Under mine. 

The Chairman. But could they not be sent to some other place 
where watchmen are required, and younger men, better fitted to 
treat with the boys, sent here, under the existing law? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; I do not think so; and I do not 
think we would get as good men. 

The Chairman. In Washington there is no objection to transferring 
men from one department to another—for instance, from the Pension 
Office to the Treasury Department. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. These men have been here a 
good many years. 

Mr. Dawson. Such transfers can only be arranged by the consent 
of both departments, under the civil-service laws. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I do not speak in the way of finding fault 
with the men. They are most excellent men, and are not to be 
blamed for getting old; but there is no future for them. If they were 
regular enlisted men of the Navy they would be pensioned and would 
have something to look forward to in their old age. It is only natural 
we desire to keep them on as long as we can. They are getting to be 
old men, some of them. 

The Chairman. I am unalterably opposed to any system of civil 
pensions, personally. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; I suppose that is so. We have 
not as many of them as we need. We have marines come over from 
the force that is in the school of application. They send detachments 
over here to do duty. I think it would be much better if we had our 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


159 


own detachment—tried men who have been at sea and know some¬ 
thing of the service, to perform our guard duty. 

The Chairman. Is there anything else touching the discipline or 
duties that you would like to bring to our attention, Captain ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir. I hope we will be able to have 
at least six officers in the discipline department, to give these gentle¬ 
men some relief. 

The Chairman. That is in the discretion of the Secretary of the 
Navy, provided he has officers to send. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes. I feel that they are worked pretty 
hard, and there is not very much encouragement. 

Mr. Padgett. I wanted to ask your opinion as to what you think 
of the efficacy and what will be the future result of the pledge which 
has been made—not a pledge; I withdraw that word pledge—but of 
the declaration that has been made. 

The Chairman. The voluntary action. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I should have perfect confidence in it. I 
have faith to believe those young men mean exactly what they say. 
I trust before we get through that every one in all the classes will 
come forward and do the same. 

Mr. Padgett. What do you think the effect of it will be upon the 
moral status of the boys with reference to hazing? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Most excellent. That is what I told the 
last first class—that they had an opportunity of distinguishing them¬ 
selves beyond all others if they would only t ake it and come forward 
and crush all these things at once. 

Mr. Padgett. I fulty agree with you in that opinion, and I think 
it will have a good result. I 

Captain Colvocoresses. I am so glad that you gentlemen have 
given them encouragement to come forward and do that, because I 
have the highest opinion of their general goodness. Of course you 
find boys among them who are not any different from what you find 
elsewhere; but the average boy that is here at this academy is a very 
fine lad 

The Chairman. They are of a selected class. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They are, indeed. I am brought in con¬ 
tact with them in every possible way, and I want to speak for them. 
I am sorry the newspapers have been so hard on them. They feel it 
very much. I tell them, ‘‘Now you have got the credit of the acad¬ 
emy to uphold. You have got to outlive this thing. A large part 
of this is because the people are disappointed in you. You have got 
to outlive it.’’ 

The Chairman. You can say to them that even as good and pure 
and wise men as members of Congress are referred to very disrespect¬ 
fully by the newspapers. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; I expect so. 

Mr. Padgett. I feel that these meetings will have the result of 
creating a better moral and disciplinary atmosphere among the boys 
themselves. 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir. The thing had reached a crisis. 
It was bound to come sooner or later. You have to purify the atmos¬ 
phere every once in a while in these places. 

Mr. Padgett. In that connection, about the class action in regard 
to hazing, the present second class, which will be the first class next 
-year, has taken action? 


160 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Captain Colvocoresses. Ye^, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Now, if the present third class, which will be the 
second class next year, takes the same action, will it be within the 
power of those two classes to suppress hazing, regardless- 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; if the senior class will do its best 
hazing will be stopped, because they are right in with it all the time. 

Mr. Padgett. Regardless of what the present fourth class may do ? 

Captain Colvocoresses. Yes, sir; but it is very desirable to have 
them all come forward. 

Mr. Padgett. I realize the desirability of having the present fourth 
class take some action, but if they should fail to do it t*he first and 
second classes next year would be able to suppress hazing anyway. 

Captain Colvocoresses. I want to say that I do not admit, 
whether they take it or not, that we can not suppress it anyway. I 
am very glad to have them show the right spirit, and so on, but I do 
not want them to feel that the discipline of this academy is dependent 
on them. 

The Chairman. All the cadet officers being appointed by the first 
class, and this action having been taken by them, insures their help 
in reporting all infractions. 

Captain Colvocoresses. They have come to me very nicely, and 
have asked me about it. I said, ‘‘Do it of your own volition, and 
show that you do it of your own volition, and not because you have 
been egged on by anyone to do it. It will be to your credit to show 
that it is something that is done of your own intent and purpose.’^ 
We can not afford to make agreements with our subordinates in 
the military service. They have got to obey; and if a wrong order 
is given, that is thcj fault of the su])erior. If they are abused, they 
have got to take the right means to get redress. But they ought to 
obey under all circumstances. 

The Chairman. That is all I have to-day. Captain, unless some of 
the other gentlemen want to pursue the inquiry further. We may, 
before we leave, desire to have you come in on some other points that 
may develop. You will be here to-morrow? 

Captain Colvocoresses. I was thinking of being away to-morrow 
and the next day. I thank you very much for having given me so 
much consideration to-day in the matter of coming before you. 

The Chairman. We thought we might just as well do it to-day. 

Mr. Dawson. I want to ask one more question. Captain. Do the 
records of your office for the last academic year show that any mid¬ 
shipmen were punished, either by demerits or otherwise, for prac¬ 
ticing either running or fagging? 

Captain Colvocoresses. No, sir; every offense is entered in a 
large book there by the reporting officer, and all about it, and the 
number of demerits assigned. There was nothing in the way of fag¬ 
ging or anything of that kind. , Fagging was not developed fully 
until this Decatur matter came up in the court-martial. Nobody 
ever dreamed that this fagging business had reached here. I sup¬ 
posed that existed in Rugby in Tom Brown’s day, but I did not know 
we had it in this country at all. 

The Chairman. The boys all deny it by the name of fagging. They 
will not acknowledge the name “fagging.” 

Captain Colvocoresses. It is a friendly act. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL' ACADEMY. 


161 


Mr. Gregg. They say they know nothing about it except from 
reading of it in the English navy. 

Captain Colvocoresses. That is very funny. 

Mr. Padgett. But they tell of cases of it. 

Mr. Gregg. Yes; it is a case of “A rose by any other name.” 

The subcommittee (at 6 o'clock p. m.) adjourned until to-morrow, 
February 21, 1906, at 10 o'clock a. m. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., February 21, 1906. 

The subcommittee met at 10 o'clock a. m., Hon. E. B. Vreeland in 
the chair. 

STATEMENT OE LIEUT. C. P. SNYDER, U. S. NAVY. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, this is a subcommittee of the Naval 
Committee of the House of Representatives. We are here under a 
resolution of that committee to inquire into the management and dis¬ 
cipline of the academy, especially as it relates to hazing. Orders 
have been sent by the President and the Secretary of the Navy to the 
superintendent that any officers attached to the academy shall 
appear and answer all questions concerning the same, as desired by the 
suDcommittee, so that you are here in the line of duty. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Aye, aye, sir. 

The Chairman. What are your present duties here. Lieutenant? 

Lieutenant Snyder. At present, sir, I am in the departments of 
navigation and mechanics—two departments—as instructor. 

The Chairman. How long have you been here? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I was ordered here, or reported here for duty 
rather, on the 16th of August. 

The Chairman. The 16th of last August? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. Understand, sir, I have only been 
instructor since the term opened. That was about the middle of 
October. 

The Chairman. Yes; the 14th. 

Lieutenant Snyder. When the studies began; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. When did you graduate here? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I graduated in 1900—six years ago. 

The Chairman. Your knowledge of affairs here, then, is recent and 
continuous ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. I did not see anything of the place, 
you see, sir, for five years. That is, of course, I could tell you any¬ 
thing that- 

The Chairman. You were here four years, then you were gone five 
years, and now you have been here since August ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Tell us about hazing as it existed when you were in 
school here, closing with 1900. 

Lieutenant Snyder. In order for me to tell you anything in regard 
to that, if you want a relation of it to 1900, when I was here- 

The Chairman. I say, closing with 1900, during the time when you 
were familiar with it—four years. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-11 





162 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant Snyder. The last two years here, my upper class, sec¬ 
ond and first class years, I knew there was something of the kind that 
went on, but of course in those days we never indulged in any such 
thing. That is, the upper classes never had anything to do with any¬ 
thing of that kind—particularly first class men. 

The Chairman. What year did you come in? 

Lieutenant Snyder. 1896. 

The Chairman. Were you hazed? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Under the present definition of the law, I was; 
yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you hazed physically? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Well, I was made to do the standing on the 
head. 

The Chairman. Then you were hazed? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Tes, sir. 

The Chairman. About the same line they have now—the sixteenth, 
the rabbit dance, the leaning rest, the locker, and so forth? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; they are all new to me. The only 
one we ever- 

The Chairman. The sixteenth is new? 

Lieutenant Snyder. The sixteenth and standing on the head they 
had in my day. I never knew of a man who was physically injured or, 
in fact, discommoded, discomforted in any way. We took it, as 1 
remember, just as apparently some of them seem to have done now— 
of course I only know from what I have seen in the papers— more in 
the spirit of fun. In fact, I have known many a classmate of mine and 
have seen manv a man go to a room where upper class men were pur¬ 
posely to indulge in it. They thought they were being neglected if 
they did not receive some attention. 

The Chairman. Did they send them under the table in those days ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; not in those days. It would have 
been impossible. There were only 240' of us, and it would have been 
absolutely impossible to do such a thing. I must say, in justice to 
those days, that I never knew of any man being humiliated, unless he 
was humiliated- 

The Chairman. Except by what they call running? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. For instance, it was never counte¬ 
nanced, I think—I know, in our day a man was not supposed to be 
humiliated or in any way insulted. If he was, it immediately became a 
personal affair. We had no such system, of course, as this code, as 
they call it. It was not a recognized fact that if a man had a fight he 
was to keep on fighting until he was licked—until he was battered up. 

The Chairman. Did you have class fights then? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Never class fights; always personal. 

The Chairman. How did they enforce what hazing they had ? How 
did they enforce standing on the head? 

Lieutenant Snyder. It was more or less a recognized custom that 
had passed down. The power of enforcement, as I look back on it in 
retrospection, was more of an imaginary one than a real one. If a man 
had really refused to undergo any of this treatment I have no doubt 
that nothing would ever have happened. He would probably have 
had a fight or two, but it would have been more or less of a personal 
nature. 

The Chairman. Some one would have picked a quarrel with him? 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


163 


Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. Further, in that connection I would 
like to say that usually in the case of fights of under class men, fourth 
class men, with upper class men, you would find most of the sympathy 
would usually be with the fourth class man from the other upper 
classes, because a fight never took place unless there was some cause 
for it—something humiliating, some insult, or something that any 
man would fight for in any walk of life. 

The Chairman. Rates prevailed, I suppose, in those days when you 
were here? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How were they enforced. 

Lieutenant Snyder. By the same sort of, you might say, ethical 
enforcement. A man is supposed to realize what he could do and 
what he could not do. Then there was more or less of the custom of 
laxity in the performance of duty in such cases. For instance, in 
those days—I am speaking of when I was an under class man par¬ 
ticularly—we thought that if we did not stick to what we were sup¬ 
posed to (the rate as they spoke of it, the same as they do now) that 
we would probably be gotten after not only in the hazing line, but 
also that we would probably be reported oftener than we would have 
been if we had not. 

The Chairman. By the cadet officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; by the cadet officers. 

The Chairman. Hazing, as it existed then—that sort of hazing, 
I suppose, was not especially objected to by the officials, the disci¬ 
plinary officers? They took very little notice of it? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I should not say that, sir. Of course, there 
were never, as I remember, and as I recollect, any cases—well, once, 
when I was a first class man a case came up of a fourth class man. 
It seems he had written home. We never thought at the time, as I 
remember, that he objected at all, but his parents evidently did. 
They objected, and there was some trouble; but there was no court- 
martial. There was an investigation of it, of course, but I do not 
recollect what became of it. That was the only case that occurred 
while I was here that I knew of. But, of course, I have seen officers 
in those days prevent things. For instance, they would take every 
step they had power to to prevent interference with under class men 
by upper class men. I never noticed any inclination of the officers 
not to attempt to detect any such thing. 

The Chairman. I infer that hazing of a milder type, without the 
enforcement of class fights, which prevailed while you were here, 
would not need to receive special attention from the disciplinary 
officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No; None of it was ever done, you see. 
None of this was ever done, and nothing in the actions of a fourth 
class man would convey to an officer that he was being interfered 
with at all. For instance, I have noticed descriptions now of the way 
they say they make them square corners, and things of that kind. 
Since I have been on duty I have stopped fourth class men, and make 
them stop that, because the idea of going squarely up to a corner and 
facing around, when only one is Walking, looks ridiculous. It does 
not amount to anything, but I stopped it several times since I have 
been here. We never did anything of that kind, and were not 
required to do it, as I remember. I walked through the grounds the 


164 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


same when I was a fourth class man as I did when I was an upper 
class man. There was a rule, as I remember, and I believe they have 
the same thing now, but that always applied to gravel walks. In 
those days there were walks that cut cater-cornered across the yards, 
rather than going straight down the main walks, and going square. 
I believe the lower class men were always supposed to stick to the 
main walks, and walk squarely, instead of taking the short cut. 
That was somewhat in the line of a rate. 

The Chairman. You think the amount of hazing which prevailed 
during your school years here was very mild and did very little 
damage ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. As you remember it ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. As I remember it. I never did anything that 
I felt I was being humiliated by, or anything of the kind. I do not 
recollect of any case that happened during my four years at the 
academy when a man was injured. Perhaps I can recall, in looking 
over this whole business, since it came up. I was trying to recall 
fights which occurred during my four years, and I could think of only 
four, and of those, every one was of a personal nature. Some upper 
class man had made himself particularly obnoxious or disagreeable 
to a lower class man; but as I say, in every case nearlj, it was a case 
of a personal nature between them, and usually the sympathy of the 
rest of the upper class men was with the under class man, because it 
was of a personal nature. 

The Chairman. Wlien you got back in August I suppose that you 
had no knowledge that the hazing system had changed any, or the 
rating system, but supposed that it was still of the same character, 
which would need to attract no special attention. You had heard 
of nothing in the meanwhile, I suppose, of a more severe character? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I could not take a personal view of it then, 
of course. Of course, when I am placed on duty I am required by 
the commandant to stop any practices giving the least indication of 
interference whatever, even in the mildest form. If I am on duty 
I am bound to correct it. 

The Chairman. But your view of the character of it would be, of 
course, that which you took away with you, unless you had- 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, my personal view; but, of course, I 
would eliminate that immediately when I got back on duty. 

The Chairman. I do not mean that you would permit a boy to be 
placed on his head in your presence. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Or any interference at all. 

The Chairman. You w^ould naturally think that hazing was less 
to be censured than a great many other violations of the rules named 
here, as you remembered it. If it had always remained of the type 
which existed when you were here it would receive less attention 
than a great many other violations of the rules ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I could not have held that view when 
I was on duty. Any violation of the regulations whatever, be it 
however small, if I am on duty I have to correct it. It would be 
absolutely incompatible for me to go on duty and allow anything to 
escape my notice which by due vigilance I was supposed to correct. 

The Chairman. Yes; but the seriousness of the offense would 
have some bearing upon you as to the amount of vigilance that you 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


165 


would use when on dutjr in looking it up, I suppose. You did not 
put in your leisure time in going through the boys’ wardrobes to see 
if a toothbrush was on the right shelf ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not at all. 

The Chairman. That was not of a serious nature, so that you 
would feel that your mind would be on it. That would come along 
incidentally. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I am required by the regular routine, if I am 
on duty as a discipline officer, to make certain inspections. Of course, 
at those times I would pay attention to everything I could possibly 
think of—any infraction or the regulations—and at all times rt would 
be my duty to keep a lookout for any infraction. 

The Chairman. But there might be something more serious— 
what is it they call it, frenching—when they go out without leave? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is supposed to be a pretty serious violation ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. While you are on duty, if a boy had a reputation 
for frenching, and you were suspicious of him, would you not give 
him a little special attention to see that he was on hand? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I would not pay any attention to 
him unless I heard that he was outside of academic limits. Then I 
would take steps to ascertain who it was. 

The Chairman. What do you mean by “heard?” 

Lieutenant Snyder. That is usually the way they are found out. 
The watchman, the marine orderly, or somebody will report that a 
midshipman has left the grounds. They may have seen him go over 
the walls; or, as many a case has happened, as they say, they some¬ 
times “run the gates”—go right by the guard. The guard may 
attempt to stop him, and he will not stop. The watchmen are unable 
to say who that is. Then the only way to do, I suppose—I never had 
a case of that kind during the time I was on duty as disciplinary 
officer, which was about a month, going on every fourth day—I was 
on eight or a dozen times altogether—I never had a case of frenching 
come under my notice. If I had, I suppose- 

The Chairman. Does not the disciplinary officer take the initiative 
in looking into these things ? He is not supposed to stand there and 
wait until an orderly or a gateman comes up and tells him? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. He is supposed to use his intelligence and under¬ 
standing constantly while he is on duty in looking for violations. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Certainly. 

The Chairman. If they are serious violations? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Certainly. I meant that there would be no 
reason for me to suspect one man of frenching any more than there 
would be another. Therefore, I would look out for all consistently. 

The Chairman. Do they all french equally? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, no; but I say- 

The Chairman. Why would you not look out for one man more 
than another? For instance, u one man had been hauled up two or 
three times for frenching would it not be natural for a disciplinary 
officer to give him more attention than the others? 

Lieutenant Snyder. It is not likely that he would know that, par¬ 
ticularly a man who is on duty for a short time. 




166 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. That may be the case, but I am asking you about 
the duties of the disciplinary officers, as you understand them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; at all times during his tour of dutj 
he is to observe and correct any infraction of the regulations, be it 
however small or large, or of whatever nature. 

The Chairman. What are they supposed to be looking out chiefly 
for; serious regulations or minor regulations? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Everything. 

The Chairman. A toothbrush on the wrong shelf or class fighting 
and trenching? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Both, sir. A combination of everything. 

The Chairman. There are some three or four hundred rules there 
of all descriptions, little and big. I assume when you say you give 
attention to everything, that means you give attention to nothing 
in particular except what may turn up ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; that is it. You just exercise due 
vigilance to the best of your ability while you are on duty to correct 
or detect any infraction of the regulations, and report to the com¬ 
mandant. 

The Chairman. Where do you stay in Brancroft Hall when on 
duty ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. They have a regular office now, sir. 

The Chairman. Was there not one there when you were there? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes; but not in the same place. 

The Chairman. Where did you stay? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I had an office, assigned to the officer in charge. 
It was a room which I presume at this time is used as a midshipman’s 
room. It was looking toward the water, in the right wing, and you 
entered the first side door as you came in the main entrance. 

The Chairman. Was the building fully’ occupied when you were 
there ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; only that wing. There are four floors 
altogether. Until the upper class men came—that one company of 
upper class men that they had here—only three floors were occupied 
and when they came they put them on the fourth floor. 

The Chairman. When you went on duty part of them were on the 
cruise ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Only one class was here, the fourth class. 

The Chairman. There was only one class here? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Up to a certain time. I came the 1st of 
August. The 1st of September the upper class men returned from 
the cruise and went on leave. 

The Chairman. When were you on duty as a disciplinary officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. From the 16th of August until about the 20th 
or 24th of September—about the last of September. 

The Chairman. Then, during most of that time only one class was 
here, and the few upper class men who were here were left over for 
some reason? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; you see, during the month of August 
there would be no one here but the fourth class. 

The Chairman. You had a small number to look out for, compara¬ 
tively ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. Well, there were, two hundred and 
fifty-some, I believe, in that class. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


167 


The Chairman. Where did you stay in Bancroft Hall? 

Lieutenant Snyder. In the office assigned to the officer in charge 
at that time. 

The Chairman. What time did you go on duty? 

Lieutenant Snyder. When I had my day’s duty I would go on duty 
at 10 o’clock in the morning and remain until 10 o’clock the next 
morning. 

The Chairman. Did you stay in the building all the while? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. At that time I was assigned not only 
for discipline duty, but for drills and other departments. I was in the 
steam engineering department for a time, and also in the seamanship 
department, in addition to my regular duties as disciplinary officer. 
So whenever I had drills, which was every day in either one of the two 
departments—I was not in the two at the same time; for two weeks 
I was in the steam engineering department, and had drill in some 
branches—I had to leave the building and take charge of the drill. 

The Chairman. Would there be students there when you left? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Very few. 

The Chairman. Were there many students at Bancroft Hall during 
the day, or merety at recitations? 

Lieutenant Snyder. There were no recitations then. That was 
before the Academy’s term opened. 

The Chairman. How is it now? 

Lieutenant Snyder. They are away most of the day. 

The Chairman. Do any of the classes have study hour during the 
day in the hall 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; they come alternately. For instance, 
two hours is assigned to each department. One battalion—that is, 
half of the whole brigade—will come to certain recitations. For 
instance, take my classes in navigation. The second class now has 
navigation for two hours. The first battalion is here this morning, 
and I had the first battalion from 8 until 9. Then they go to their 
rooms and study from 9 until 10. The second battalion, or second 
class, recites from 9 until 10. It runs that way through all the 
classes in every subject. 

The Chairman. Then there will be a portion of the time when there 
is no disciplinary officer in the building ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That was only during my term. Now, I 
believe, an officer is there all the time, and that is his only duty. I 
was a disciplinary officer and also had to conduct drills, too. Now, 
I believe, they have it differently. These officers are assigned for 
disciplinary duty altogether, and they are constantly in the build¬ 
ing—all the time. 

The Chairman. Some days you stayed there all day? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; some days I may not have had a 
drill, and then I would be there. 

The Chairman. Some days ^mu stayed all day? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir 

The Chairman. You- went on at 10 o’clock in the morning? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Tell us what you did all day. 

Lieutenant Snyder. At 10 o’clock I would go, and as soon as I 
would be relieved, and get any special orders, etc., which were 
given, I would make an inspection of the rooms, as required by the 


168 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 

regulations. You have to make a certain inspection every day, at a 
certain hour—that is, between certain hours. I would make an 
inspection of the rooms. Then I would come back to the office and 
attend to my routine duties. Any special orders that might come in 
I would see carried out, or send for the midshipmen to go to various 
places. They would be sent for by the tailor, or the doctor, for meas¬ 
urements, or something of that kind. I had to look out for those 
things. You see I am speaking now only of the times and of the 
experience I had with the fourth class. It was, of course, entirely 
different from what they have now. I couldnT say exactly what 
their duties are now; but most of the time they were kept busy, 
although they had no recitations. The second period, from 10 to 12, 
during the fall, they recited in French—they had French recitations; 
so they were always away. They had drills from 8 to 10, and French 
from 10 to 12. Most of them were out of the building then. There 
would only be a few there. I would go and see the commandant. 
He would probably send for me after I had made my inspection, to see 
about some reports I had made the day before, or anything of that 
kind. Then we had dinner at half past 12. After dinner, about 
twenty minutes to 2 or quarter of 2, whenever the afternoon period 
began, we used to give them half an hour’s talk. We would take the 
regulation book- 

The Chairman. You went with the cadets to dinner in the mess 
hall? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; I went with the midshipmen in 
the mess hall. It was then a temporary mess hall only—a part of 
the basement to Bancroft Hall, down under the building. It was 
only temporary for the fourth class men. 

The Chairman. How large was that room? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That room was very narrow and rather long. 
It was divided into an L. For instance, when the fourth class was 
there they sat in the longer end of the L. AYhen they had that one 
division of upper class men they sat in this end of a long corridor 
and I sat between. They did not mingle at that time. The fourth 
class were entirely distinct. They did not sit at the same table 
until the term began and they were divided up into their regular 
companies. The organization at that time consisted of this fourth 
class battalion, which kept entirely distinct; the upper class men 
hold overs who were kept for various purposes were entirely separate, 
and they formed them into one division to keep them in order and 
to march them to and from their meals. That was all. They went 
into the same room, but they were always in a separate part of the 
hall. 

Mr. Dawson. Were any of these disclosures of hazing in the mess 
hall that have been brought out by the board of investigation found 
to have occurred in this temporary mess hall? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not that I know of. I do not think it would 
have been possible. It could not have been, because they were 
entirely separate. This L came this way [indicating], and this one 
went that way [indicating]. The fourth class men sat here [indi¬ 
cating] and the upper class men there [indicating]. The officer in 
charge sat about where you sit. 

The Chairman. In the angle? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes. After dinner we had a half hour’s 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 169 

talk on the regulations. We would take the regulation book and 
go over certain regulations and explain them. 

The Chairman. Where were they assembled for that? 

Lieutenant Snyder. In the mess hall. 

The Chairman. They remained for half an hour’s talk? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; they went out after dinner and prob¬ 
ably remained half an hour. 

The Chairman. And then came back? 

Lieutenant Snyder. And then came back for half an hour’s 
talk. We talked about anything. We would give them advice 
about conducting themselves—how to do. They were new, of 
course, and we ^ave them just general advice on how they should 
conduct themselves. Then after that they went for two hours’ 
drill in the afternoon. They had seamanship, and sometimes I 
would have to go to boat drill, with the boats or steam launches, 
and then get back about 5 o’clock. 

The Chairman. Did you go with them or stay at the hall? 

Lieutenant Snyder. It depends upon whether it was my drill. 
If I had the drill I would have to go with them. I would go and 
take charge of them. 

The Chairman. I mean when you stayed at the hall all day, 
except when ^mu went to mess, where did you stay? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Will you please repeat that? 

The Chairman. I am asking how you were employed during the 
day when you stayed at Bancroft Hall, except going to the mess 
hall. 

Lieutenant Snyder. After the mess, when they would go to drill, 
I would go to my office and remain there or in my room, which is 
right alongside of the office. I would go to the room and sit there 
until they came back. There would be no routine duties required 
unless the commandant would send for me for certain things. As 
soon as they got back to the hall I would go to my office. 

The Chairman. Was there not a considerable number there at 
the same time in the building? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; probably two or three only—those 
who were on the sick list and those who were on duty. 

The Chairman. I thought you said a moment ago that during all 
portions of the day there were quite a good many in the hall studying. 

Lieutenant Snyder. They had no studies in those days. Tins 
was in the fall. 

The Chairman. In September? 

Lieutenant Snyder. August and September—the term doesn’t 
open then. 

The Chairman. It was before the regular term commenced, 
and hence there were no studies? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Except that one period in the forenoon, 
from 10 to 12, for French. You see that is an entirely different 
arrangement from what holds now. The duties are different. 
They are all- 

The Chairman. I understand. 

Lieutenant Snyder. They are all new midshipmen, and they are 
only instructed in physical drills, and so forth. They gave them 
this period in French to prepare them. The French department 



170 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMV. 


wanted to get them to a certain state, I believe, before they started 
on the regular term. 

Mr. Gregg. They wanted to kind of coach them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your term of service there was short, and was 
not during the school year, so that you could not give from experience 
the present routine of the disciplinary officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I could not give it. I am sorry. I 
hope I have not talked too much and interfered, but I wanted to tell 
you just exactly what you wanted to know in everything. 

The Chairman. Yes; you have made it very full. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Of course, in speaking of the routine I was 
speaking only of that time, and that was a peculiar condition. 

Mr. Dawson. In the course of these half-hour talks to the new 
cadets, to which you referred, was any special instruction given to 
them with regard to hazing, or their conduct with regard to hazing or 
being hazed ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. You see, it would have been impos¬ 
sible for me to touch upon a thing of that kind, because, as far as I 
was concerned, nothing of the kind existed, don’t 5^11 see? I would 
simply take the regulations and speak of the regulations and the 
importance of obeying them. For instance, that sounds very simple 
to you, but you would be surprised to see the absolute inability of 
the new midshipmen to grasp the meaning of the regulations. For 
instance, take the regulations concerning the hours of visiting the 
library, or the regulations about sending clothes to the laundry. 
Those things are very explicit, and more or less of a minor nature, 
but if they do not know them it will give great confusion and mul¬ 
tiply the work of the officers, you know. For instance, a man will 
not keep his list straight or does not conform to certain regulations. 
At first it is an absolutely new^ existence for them; they pick up the 
regulation book and they do not understand those things. The 
object of those lectures was to take the regulations and explain them 
to the boys. After a wffiile they wall see it readily, but at first you have 
got to be more or less verbose—or in other wmrds, express it in simple 
language to make them understand it. I could not say anything 
about hazing, or their conduct in regard to it, because there w^as no 
such thing supposed to exist, and there was not for most of the time, 
of course. There would be no occasion for them to be hazed, 
because there were no upper class men here. A thing of that kind 
never entered my mind. The commandant cautioned the officers in 
charge—that is, he cautioned me, and I suppose he did the others; he 
simply wmuld come when he would think of a thing—he said he did 
not know of any interference with low^er class men by the upper class 
men. But, of course, always wffien they mingle you were to look out 
for those things, and cautioned to be on your guard particularly. I 
remember once I asked him about a regulation. In fact, one of my 
questions was the cause of an order. I had not been here for some 
time. In my day there was no restriction upon the visiting of upper 
class men upon lowxr class men, or vice versa. But since my time I 
knew there had been regulations here. I had heard from midship¬ 
men who had come out into the service that they were not allow^ed to 
go on each other’s floors—the fourth to visit the first class or the first 
to visit the fourth class. I asked him if that w^as to hold, and he said 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


171 


that was under consideration, and for the present that would hold. 
At that time I remember I wrote that down in the order book. Of 
course, after they came back, in my mind I was on the lookout for 
any infractions of that kind, but I could not very well say anything 
to the fourth class men, because if I had mentioned to them that there 
was such a thing as hazing it would practically be the same as to say 
that I knew it existed, which I did not at that time. That is, there 
were evidently no appearances until this business of walking came 
about. Several times 1 noticed men walking on the edges of the 
walks and squaring corners, and so forth. I usually stopped them 
and made them walk in the center of the walks. Several times I 
stopped fourth class men and said, ‘‘Why do you do this? Are you 
doing this under any compulsion?’’ He always said. No; he was 
doing it because he wanted to. 

Mr. Dawson. It was a voluntary observance of the rate? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That is it exactly. I recognize that. It 
was impossible for me to say that they should not. I made them 
walk in the middle of the walk, but I suppose when they got out of 
my sight they would go back to the side of the walk again. If any¬ 
one had asked such a fourth class man about it I suppose he would 
have said the same thing. 

The Chairman. Was the linoleum order issued with a view of 
changing their rate while you were in the disciplinary service ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. With a view of changing what, sir? 

The Chairman. It seems that the upper class men made 
a rate about walking on the linoleum. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes, sir. That order was issued during 
my term of service. I was on duty when it was published. That 
was given by the commandant, of course. He told me at the time— 
that is I heard; I don’t know whether I heard from the commandant or 
the superintendent—he said they were all walking on the edges, 
and of course they must go to the center to preserve the linoleum; 
in other words to make it wear evenly. All of the people walking 
on the edge would wear it away. That was his object. But at 
the same time he thought the reason they walked on the edge was 
because they were required to by the upper class men. 

The Chairman. What was the order given for, to save the lino¬ 
leum, to stop rating, or both? 

Lieutenant Snyder. To stop both, I should say, sir. I do not 
know. I simply received the order and published it. 

The Chairman. Did any of the class men laugh when the order 
was read to them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes. They were standing in battalion 
formation. 

The Chairman. Why did they do that? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That I could not say. I could not give their 
motive for laughing. 

The Chairman. 1 supposed you had some theory about it. 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. I supposed it would attract your attention so 
that you would have some theory about it. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I was absolutely astounded, however, that 
anything they should be thinking of would lead them to so far forget 
themselves as to break out in ranks. If it had been one or two cases 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


172 

here and there in the battalion, it would not have been so remark¬ 
able, but the laughter was so general that it was absolutely astound- 
ing. 

The Chairman. The whole class laughed, in brief? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That is what they did. 

The Chairman. What was your theory as to why they did it. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I never had any theory. I suppose it struck 
them as amusing that they should be ordered not to walk—that, is, 
the mere fact of this order saying that they were not to walk on the 
edge of the linoleum, connected with the fact that they were required 
to by the upper class men, struck them as being amusing. It did 
not strike me so at the time. I was very much put out, and natu¬ 
rally very indignant that the whole battalion should break forth in 
laughter. I was principally struck with the breach of military 
decorum, of course, and the method of correction, if such could be 
gotten. 

The Chairman. It was rather a serious breach, was it not, the 
reception of the order by the laughter of the whole class ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. To my mind it would be. To my mind I 
can not imagine- 

The Chairman. It was something that would deserve punishment, 
would it not? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you punish them in any way? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I could not punish them. Of course' 
I would not have inflicted any punishment unless I conferred with 
the commandant, because I would not have a right to. You have 
to report infractions. 

The Chairman. Leaving out all the details, did you attempt any 
punishment at any time? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes; that is, I attempted an investiga¬ 
tion. I immediately sent word to the acting cadet commander, and 
also the acting cadet commanders of the companies, to report those 
guilty of laughter. They all came to my office after dinner—the 
acting cadet commanders of the fourth class. 

The Chairman. Who were the acting cadet commanders? 

Lieutenant Snyder. The fourth class men, I may recall now who 
they were, probably. Mr. Campbell of the fourth class; Mr. Cham¬ 
bers was then acting adjutant of the company. Campbell was one. 
Brainard was another. Mr. Gary and Mr. Hand. They were five of 
the fourth class men. 

The Chairman. Hand? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Hand. 

The Chairman. Was Riebe, or Reibe a cadet officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, no. 

The Chairman. They were fourth class men? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No; they were upper class men. That was 
an entirely separate company. This laughter was all in the fourth 
class battalion, and I only sent for their officers. 

The Chairman. What class did they belong to, that you called up ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. The fourth class men. 

The Chairman. Were there cadet officers in the fourth class? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Acting cadet officers. This battalion was 
formed of the fourth class, and all the acting cadet officers were 
fourth class men. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY, 


173 


The Chairman. Was that after Admiral wSands came? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes, sir. That was before the beginning 
of the term, you see, sir. 

The Chairman. Some one has testified, either Captain Colvoco- 
resses or Admiral Sands, that no practice prevails here of having 
lower class men for officers at the present time; that all of the cadet 
officers are from the upper class. 

Mr. Gregg. That is after the beginning of the school year? 

The Chairman. I understood Captain Colvocoresses to make that 
distinction. I am informed that they used to have cadet officers 
from the lower class, and that that had been discontinued. Is that 
true? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes, sir. They did not have any such 
thing in my day. It must have been long previous to that. I have 
never heard of it since. 

The Chairman. Do they have cadet officers below the upper class 
now, during the school year ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. But they do during the summer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. During the summer, you see, there is only 
one class left, and that is the fourth class. They have to have some 
one to divide them up into divisions. 

The Chairman. But at the beginning of the school year that stops? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then they were acting cadet officers from the 
fourth class that you called up? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And asked to report those who had laughed? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did they report themselves? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; they came into the office and told 
me it would be impossible to report all those who had laughed, unless 
they reported all the division, because the laughter was so general. 

The Chairman. Practically all of them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. I talked to them and tried to con¬ 
vince them of what a serious breach of decorum that was; but I 
told them that if that was the case, if I had to report the whole 
battalion, of course I would not make a written report, because, of 
course, they were new, they had only been here a few months, and 
after they had been here under the regime and discipline for awhile 
longer, particularly with the upper class men, I did not think they 
would ever be guilty of such a thing after they got used to the dis¬ 
cipline. 

The Chairman. You still feel that it was rather a serious infrac¬ 
tion, which deserved punishment; but you gave it up through the 
regular channels, because it embraced practically the whole division? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; I did not make that report to higher 
authority. I simply corrected them and told them that if they real¬ 
ized and could carry out the duties of the office with which they were 
then intrusted—that is, after they realized more fully what their 
duties were, and so forth, they could themselves correct that if they 
were up to thej standard which they should have. But of course 
they were new, and it was a new experience for them. But I passed 
it over, more or less, as a matter upon which advice should be given. 


174 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


rather than correction, because I did not care to make a report of 
that kind to the commandant—that is, to report the whole battal¬ 
ion for this laughter in ranks. In thinking it over afterwards, I 
suppose I should have done it and made a report. Whether he 
would have punished the whole battalion or not, or called them up 
and gave them some talking to, I do not know. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, three of the class men—midshipmen— 
have testified that at that point, in relation to this linoleum order, 
in talking with some midshipmen in relation to this laughter, this 
serious infraction of discipline, as it was, you inquired how it was, 
why there should be such an outbreak. This midshipman replied 
that ‘‘They did not get enough discipline.’’ You then asked how 
that was, and the reply was that they could not get at them, mean¬ 
ing that the midshipmen could not get at them; that you indicated 
you would be out or the building for some time during the day, and 
that during that time a very large number of boys, whose names 
were down on a list, were hazed. What have you to say as to that? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Well, that all came out at the court-martial, 
as to the first part of that conversation, sir. As the testimony there 
shows, I said that the language was in substance correct as to his 
statement. I told him at the same time that we held this conversa¬ 
tion—of course this was addressed to the men of the first class, to 
the officer, Mr. Brainard, the acting cadet lieutenant, and in the 
record of the court you will see, and the same thing I will say now— 
that I did not tell him that I should leave the building. It would 
be absolutely impossible for me to say that, and I did not say it, 
and it is down in my- 

The Chairman. You did afterwards leave the building for an 
hour and a half? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; but I did not tell Mr. Brainard at 
the time I had that conversation with him. 

The Chairman. Why would it be impossible? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Because, sir, I could not have him infer that 
I was going to leave the building because I wanted them to disci¬ 
pline these fourth class men. Do you not see, sir ? It would be abso¬ 
lutely incompatible for me to have said that. At the time, if any¬ 
thing had been inferred, if I thought he could have inferred such a 
thing of course nothing of the kind would ever have happened; but 
to my mind, speaking to a first class man as I did then, I was refer¬ 
ring, and all the testimony shows it, to the discipline which they 
would be subjected to by the first class officers; and to think that 
he could have inferred anything of that kind—that I could have 
meant hazing—I could not have possibly said anything of that kind and 
then said deliberately, on top of it, “I am going to leave the build¬ 
ing.” In fact, I did not say to him at that time that I was going 
to leave the building at all. When I left the building, it was an 
hour or two after that, and the only person that I notified I was 
going to leave the building was the fourth class man who was the 
officer of the day. 

The Chairman. That came out in the Mayo trial? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was not Mr. Mayo acquitted practically on the 
ground that he understood that hazing would be agreeable to the 
officers ? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 175 

Lieutenant Snyder. I have never seen the sentence and the deci¬ 
sion of that court, except what I have seen in the press. 

The Chairman. You know he was acquitted? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I know he was acquitted. 

The Chairman. You understand that he was acquitted because 
although hazing was- 

Lieutenant Snyder. I understand he was acquitted on the ground 
that it was his honest conviction that I meant for them to haze. 

The Chairman. Were you before the court-martial? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes, sir; I was a witness. 

The Chairman. The testimony of these class men at that point is 
about this: The class had laughed; you made no report upon it; the 
question was asked if you held any conversation with regard to the 
matter with an upper class man. The answer is, '‘Yes.’' Then the 
question is asked, “Did you hear the conversation?” The answer 
is, “Yes.” “State to the court what it was.” “Lieutenant Snyder 
stood a few feet in front of the company I was in and said to the 
three striper of the company, Mr. Brainard, ‘what is the matter with 
these plebes nowadays, anyway?’” 

Did you say that ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. As I said in my testimony before the court— 

The Chairman. Did you say that? Please answer the question. 

Lieutenant Snyder. 1 can not say whether I used those words or 
not. The substance, however, of the question is correct. 

The Chairman. Then you did say in substance: “What is the 
matter with these plebes nowadays, anyway?” 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; in substance. 

The Chairman. Which was a very proper inquiry, I suppose? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; very proper. 

The Chairman. “I think he said, also, ‘You do not seem to have 
them in hand.’” Did you say anything of that kind? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No. I rememoer the conversation, sir. I 
asked him the first question, w^hich you just read and which I agreed 
to. Then I asked him, “Why not?” as I remember, and he said—I 
said, “What is the matter?’’ and he said, “They don’t get enough 
of it.” That is the substance of it. I remember I said, “Why 
not?” 

The Chairman. Wait a minute. Let us go back a little. You 
said: “What is the matter with these plebes nowadays, anyway?” 
Then what did you say next? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Then he replied to that question, I think, in 
substance, “They don’t get enough of it.” They say I said, “Why 
not?” 

The Chairman. You are telling what you said, now. 

Lieutenant Snyder. As I stated to the court, I do not think I 
said that, but I would not be willing on sworn testiinony to say that 
I did not. I would just as soon agree that I did say it. Then, when 
I asked him, “Why not,” he said “we don’t get at them.” I said, 
“Yes, I suppose that is so.” That is the substance of the conversa¬ 
tion. As to the exact wording, and everything, I can not remember. 
The whole incident made such a small impression upon me at the 
time, and 'this was long months afterwards, and of course this court 
came up, and I couldn’t remember my exact conversation with any 
one. That is the reason I would not say before the court on sworn 


176 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


testimony, and would not state to this board that I said that, or 
would not say I didn't say it. I can not, on sworn testimony, swear 
that I said or did not say anything, and I would not any rnore to 
this board. I would not tell you I said or did not say it, but in sub¬ 
stance that is the correct conversation, as I stated to the court. 

The Chairman. Did not the upper class men and the other class 
men who overheard the conversation, or could they not fairly infer 
that it would not be objectionable to you if a little closer discipline 
was applied to them by the upper class men ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Well, no, sir. As I stated to the court, and 
I made my answer very concise, it is absolutely impossible that they 
should have drawn such an inference. I was speaking to first class 
men- 

The Chairman. As a matter of fact, they did draw that inference, 
so it is not an impossibility. 

Lieutenant Snyder. To my idea it was; it was impossible to con¬ 
ceive how they could draw such an inference, particularly being 
first class men—that was to whom I was speaking. I was speaking 
to Mr. Brainard, and of course the other first class men, any one 
standing in the company, probably heard the conversation, as I said 
to the court, and a first class man, who within a month is to go into 
the service and be an officer—how he could think that a superior 
ofiicer placed over him to detect all infractions of regulations and to 
uphold certain precepts—how he could deliberately sift out words 
from which it could be inferred that they were to violate those pre¬ 
cepts, which I am bound by all traditions and honor, and compre¬ 
hension of my duty, to uphold; how I could deliberately tell them, or 
say anything from which they were to infer that they were to break 
the regulations, I can not conceive of. That is my honest opinion. 
The court afterwards cleared the young man because they said it 
was his honest conviction that he did draw such an inference, hon¬ 
estly—that he thought I meant for him to discipline them by putting 
them through these hazing performances. Of course, the court's 
decision, I suppose, was given on the evidencfe produced. They 
could not convict or acquit on their opinions any more than on my 
personal opinion. My ideas on the subject could not have any 
weight with a court-martial, because they have got to take the 
evidence, of course, and they have got to take sworn evidence. I 
could not say exactly what I did say, or what I did not say; but I 
could say that I had no intention, and I did so positively. Abso¬ 
lutely nothing could have been further from my intention than to say 
what I did say with the idea that they were to draw such an infer¬ 
ence. It would have been absolutely incompatible with my position. 

Mr. Dawson. What was the date of this incident ? 

Mr. Padgett. The 24th of September, Sunday. 

The Chairman. You say: ‘^What is the matter Avith the plebes 
nowadays, anyway?" Then, as Mr. Brainard and several others 
who heard it seem to have understood it, you followed that by saying, 
^^You do not seem to have them in hand," addressed to an upper 
classman. Assuming that they were right in their understanmng 
of that language, I do not see how they could understand anything 
else except that they had beeh lacking in their duty in getting the 
plebes into a state of proper discipline. 

Lieutenant Snyder. No; I do not remember ever having said. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


177 


You do not seem to have them in hand/’ at all. But, anyhow, that 
does not mean— to get them into a proper state of discipline would 
not mean an unauthorized assumption of correction by a class man 
in the form of hazing. 

The Chairman. What other means of discipline would an upper 
class man have? What other means would Mr. Brainard or Mr. Mayo 
have ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. They were first class men. They were acting 
cadet officers. They had no authority over the fourth class man at 
that time at all; but I was not referring to that time. I was referring 
to the fact that these were fourth class men, and absolutely new, and 
had never been under the jurisdiction of upper class officers. Why, 
of course, just as I said in the court, in giving my testimony, when 
questions were asked me. as to what I meant by that, my reply in 
substance, as I remember it, was that they were subject to that 
inherent discipline winch is in the service, by which a man realizes 
that he must receive and carry out regulations because of reverence 
and the example he gets from his superior olficer. Of course that 
does not mean that that officer placed over him must use unusual 
means or put him through physical exercises, or anything of that kind, 
to exact that discipline. No more does it mean that he must con¬ 
tinually make official reports- 

The Chairman. How do you know what they understood? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know what they understood. I am 
giving my idea. 

The Chairman. When you said to them, ^‘You do not have them 
in hand,” what other means did Mr. Mayo or Mr. Brainard have for 
disciplining the boys except by hazing them? Could they inflict 
rates upon them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I did not say that to Mr. Brainard. 

The Chairman. I am assuming that they understood you aright. 
If they did understand you aright, and you did say what they say 
you said, then there could be no other possible penalty that they 
could inflict but hazing, could there? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes, sir. I could not recommend any-- 

The Chairman. You do not seem to be able to understand the 
questions I ask you, and to give me an answer to them. I do not 
want a long dissertation. I want, as near as you can give it to me, 
an answer to my question, directly. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Will you tell me what other possible way Mr. 
Brainard or Mr. Mayo could have of enforcing discipline against 
those boys, as a punishment for laughing in that formation, except 
by hazing them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I did not mean for Mr. Brainard or any one to 
enforce discipline- 

The Chairman. I did not ask you what you meant. I asked if 
they could enforce discipline in any other way except by hazing, as a 
punishment ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, sir, how? 

Lieutenant Snyder. When the academic term opened and those 
midshipmen were distributed—all the four classes were there, and 
they were distributed among the various companies—the upper 
H. Doc. 690, 59-1-12 




178 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


class men in that upper class company were bound to be officers and 
petty officers. 

The Chairman. Why were they bound to be? 

Lieutenant Snyder. They were all upper class men. 

The Chairman. Might not some other upper class men be ap¬ 
pointed ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I know, sir, but- 

The Chairman. Might not some upper class men be appointed and 
these not be appointed? Was there any certainty that those two 
upper class men were to be appointed officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, yes, sir, because the number of officers 
and petty officers is such that the number in that class were almost 
bound to be appointed. 

The Chairman. Almost bound? Is there any certainty that any 
two upper class men will be appointed at all? Are all of them 
appointed officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not all, but half of them- 

The Chairman. Answer the question. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I could not say. 

The Chairman. You talk so much that I get lost in a forest of 
words. Are all of the men in the upper class appointed officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. As far as those positions reach. 

The Chairman. Are all of the men in the upper class appointed 
officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. All the petty officers- 

The Chairman. All of them? 

Lieutenant Snyder. In all- 

The Chairman. Answer the question, if you can understand the 
English language, whether all of the upper class men are appointed 
officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I understand perfectly, sir. 

The Chairman. Answer the question, then, as to whether they are 
aU bound to be appointed officers. These were upper class men, were 
they not ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; first class men. 

The Chairman. I say upper class men. Then I will say the upper 
class men, or first class men. They are not all appointed officers, are 
they? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Are half of them appointed officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I should say more than half, sir. 

The Chairman. Then these two men, I suppose, might have been 
among the half that were not appointed officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. But- 

The Chairman. Is that true? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. These two men might have been? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then your proposition falls down at that point. 
There was no certainty that they would have been appointed officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. They would not have to be officers, if they 
are first class men, to correct it. All first class men, in my day- 

The Chairman. If you will be so kind as not to start again, I want 
to endeavor to get some information, if you will pardon me. 







HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 179 

Lieutenant Snyder. I was trying to give it to you to the best of 
my ability, sir. Of course, 1 understand- 

The Chairman. All right, then. If you will please pay more 
attention to the questions, and endeavor to answer them exactly, we 
will save a great deal that I do not care for. Now, I understand there 
was no certainty that these two men would ever be appointed officers. 
Half of the class are not appointed, and they might have been among 
the half that was not appointed officers. 

Lieutenant Snyder. No; there was no certainty. 

The Chairman. All right. These two men might never have been 
appointed officers, so there is no use in following that up any more. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes; there is; if you will pardon me. 

The Chairman. Yes? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I was speaking upon the conditions as they 
existed in my day. .411 first class men, regardless of whether they 
were officers or petty officers, were on duty most of the time- 

The Chairman. Does it make any difference how it was in your day 
if it does not prevail now? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Of course, I came here and was placed on duty 
without knowing the exact conditions of the place, and I presumed it 
was still the same, except that there was a large increase oi the boys. 

The Chairman. Then, do you wish us to understand that you were 
not familiar with conditions here at that time, and supposed that all 
these men were going to be appointed officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do. 

The Chairman. Then your theory was that they were certain to be 
appointed officers, and that everybody in the class were officers ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You say that was true in your day—that all were 
appointed officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; because we had only one battalion, 
and there was not room for everyone, but, as I say, most of them were 
officers or petty officers. Three or four would be left out, but all the 
first class men were continually on duty. 

The Chairman. You say most of them. Then the whole class 
were not appointed officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Well, sir- 

The Chairman. You say every man in the first class was an officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. An officer or petty officer. You understand 
what I mean by that. We distinguish between cadet officers and 
petty officers, donT you see; but their duties are the same, except 
that they differ in particulars. For instance, a cadet lieutenant 
commands a division; a cadet junior lieutenant is a first lieutenant; a 
cadet ensign is a second lieutenant; a cadet petty officer corresponds 
to a first sergeant, and so on down. There are eight petty officers 
in a division, and that gives eleven men in that division, you see- 

The Chairman. How many were there in the first class m your day? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Sixty-one. 

The Chairman. You had sixty-one officers? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Sixty-one officers or petty officers. No; I 
couldn’t say, unless I stopped and figured it m), sir. I could figure it 
up in a few minutes. Right offhand it is difficult. 

The Chairman. Did either one of the sixty-one men have a disci¬ 
plinary office as regards the fourth class men? 




180 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant Snyder. Not as regards fourth class men any more than 
upper class men. They are supposed to have a oisciplinary office 
concerning all under class men. First class men, particularly when 
they are on duty, and at all times, are supposed to assist in discipline 
and to correct all infractions of regulations by all classes. 

The Chairman. We will assume, then, that they are appointed as 
you thought it might be. Every first class man was bound to be 
appointed a petty officer or some kind. Now, after he should be 
so appointed, how would he inflict punishment on this class that 
laughed, for this infraction of the rules, or violation of the rules, in 
laughing? 

Lieutenant Snyder. He could not inflict punishment. No one has 
a right to inflict punishment except by high authority. I can not 
punish a man, but I can so train him by example, and by a proper 
method of reprimand, by which he will never repeat such an offense. 

The Chairman. We have spent ten minutes, then, in traveling up 
and down on that. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I would like to state, if you will allow me- 

The Chairman. Wait until I finish. We have spent ten minutes 
in endeavoring to find out how the boys could be punished for this 
specific offense, unless you reported it. You stated it could be done 
by the upper class men-- 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not punished. 

The Chairman. That is what I am talking about, for the iniraction 
of the ruhs, for laughing aloud in the company. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Will you allow me a minute ? I would like to 
state, sir, that it is not my intention to give long-winded explanations. 
If you ask me for my opinion I want to give you my opinion. If you 
ask questions I shall try to answer succinctly all questions. But I 
do not like to come before this honorable body and not be placed in a 
proper light, because all along the press has cast such improper infer¬ 
ences on this thing, and brought my name into it in such an undesir¬ 
able light.. There is nothing wrong about it. If there had been I 
would have been investigated and punished by official authority, but 
there was nothing wrong at all. But all this is very disagreeable for 
me. I came before this committee resolved to tell you anything that 
I could possibly tell, and to give my opinion on any subject desired, 
and to do it in the most solemn manner. I do not want you to form 
a bad opinion of me. It is not that I desire to go into long-winded 
talks, and I beg your pardon if I have conveyed that impression. 

The Chairman. I have no doubt of it. Lieutenant. 

Lieutenant Snyder. It grieves me greatly to come before you and 
to think that in any way I have incurred your displeasure. I under¬ 
stand you have lots of work, and I have been doing my best, and shall 
always do my best, in my language and everything, to give you my 
honest conviction of what has happened, and what I think, and any¬ 
thing I can. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I am very sorry to have annoyed you in the 
least. 

The Chairman. Well, now. Lieutenant, to go back to the point 
which I am trying to bring out. You did not report this class for 
laughing. Therefore I have been assuming that they would receive 
no punishment for it. Now, see if you understand it as I do. If you 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


181 


had reported them they could have been punished if the comman¬ 
dant saw fit, in his discretion. They were not punished. Therefore 
there was no punishment along that line. Now I am saying, there¬ 
fore, that by reason of your not reporting them there was no punish¬ 
ment of them. l;ou have informed me that that is not a correct 
statement; that they could still be punished, notwithstanding your 
failuiy to report them; that the upper class men would be later 
appointed cadet officers and could punish them. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not punish them, sir, if you will allow me to 
interrupt you. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, assuming that these young men under¬ 
stood you correctly when you asked, ''What is the matter with these 
plebes nowadays, anyway?’’ and later when you said to this upper 
class man, "You do not seem to have them in hand;’’ now is there 
any way in which that company could be punished for the violation 
of the rules by laughing when an order was read, except by hazing?” 

Lieutenant Snyder. They could have been punished officially, but 
not punished in any other way. They coukl have been corrected, 
and so enjoined afterwards on the outbreak of individual cases of that 
kind that they would never repeat such a thing, and that, when the 
term opened, of course. There was no way they could have been 
corrected-- 

The Chairman. You did not report them, so there was no punish¬ 
ment? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, there was no other possible way of punish¬ 
ment of that particular offense unless they were hazed? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That would not be a punishment, sir—hazing. 

The Chairman. Hazing is not a punishment? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. Punishment, sir, is- 

The Chairman. I have been assuming here-- 

Lieutenant Snyder. It is something inflicted by proper authority. 

The Chairman. It has to be by proper authority in order to punish. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. I have no right to punish. 

The Chairman. Then, if I step out and knock down one of the 
cadets he is not punished unless I am an official? 

Lieutenant Snyder. In your mind he is punished for an offense to 
you, sir; but he is not punished in the eyes of the officials or in the 
eyes of the law. He is aggrieved. 

The Chairman. I suppose if he is knocked down, in his own eyes 
he is punished, however. He would not be splitting hairs as to how 
the authority came about, if he got knocked down. He would 
consider it punishment. 

Lieutenant Snyder. If there was something he had said or done, I 
think he would think he was properly punished. 

The Chairman. Young Kimbrough thought he was punished, did 
he not, although it was not done by proper authority? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know anything about his case- 

The Chairman. You do not know anything about Kimbrough’s 
case? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Except what I have seen in the paper. I 
have seen in the paper that he was hazed. 

The Chairman. I was not assuming that you were present when 
when he was stood on his head until he is alleged to have been uncon- 






182 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


scious; but everybody in the country knows about it, I suppose, 
including yourself. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know about the circumstances of it, 
except that he was said to have been hazed until he was unconscious. 

The Chairman. That would be considered very severe punishment, 
would it not, whether it was official or something else? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. It would be severe treatment, I 
should say—brutal treatment. 

The Chairman. Punishment would not fit your idea of it? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Was it not unofficial punishment? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir—yes, sir- 

The Chairman. Just let me state this—you seem to know so little 
about affairs here. If you will permit me, I will state it as I under¬ 
stand it, and you can answer it. I will say to you that according to 
the official evidence which we have read here, Mr. Kimbrough testi¬ 
fied before one of these investigating committees in regard to hazing. 
He mentioned the names of upper class men as having hazed. As a 
punishment for that by the upper class men, one of them visited his 
room and stood him on his head and put him through other severe 
physical exercises until he became unconscious and had to be taken to 
the hospital. Now, you may assume that that is a record of fact, 
which has occurred here during the last school year. 

Lieutenant Snyder. You understand, sir- 

The Chairman. Having that in mind, which I give for your infor¬ 
mation, I would ask you if he was not severely punished by the cadets 
for a violation of what they thought he ought to do, or for doing that 
which they thought he ought not to do ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; that is an illegal assumption, but he 
was punished according to their code of laws. 

The Chairman. What difference does it make? He was punished? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, you understand how I use the word. This 
is an explanation of what English means, and now you and I under¬ 
stand it. Bearing that in mind, as to what punishment means, offi¬ 
cial, unofficial, or whoever it is by, was there any wa}^ by which these 
boys could be punished for this violation of the rules in laughing when 
an order was read, except by hazing? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, sir, we have taken three-quarters of an hour 
to reach those two words. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I should add that I do not want to go on 
record- 

The Chairman. Yes, sir; you are thoroughly on record. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I think you might do me the justice, sir, with¬ 
out any sarcastic insinuations—but I do not care to go on record 
before you gentlemen as saying anything of that kind, and placing 
me in a wrong inference. I am absolutely unable to follow intricate 
arguments. I am not used to it. I have never studied it. You can 
mix me up, and talk for hours, in language- 

The Chairman. I don’t know. 

Lieutenant Snyder (continuing). Any time you want to; but I 
am simply trying to state the facts of the case, so that I will not be 
placed m a bad light. 






HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


183 


The Chairman. Had you not gone through all'that before, Lieu¬ 
tenant ? You have made your statement there to the extent of a page 
or two along the line as to your intentions and what you want to do. 
That is thoroughly on record. For my part, I will say to you that I 
am asking questions of you in the plainest English I know how to 
command. I asked you this same question to which you have now 
said ‘‘no,’’ something like three-quarters of an hour ago. The whole 
intervening time I have spent in the endeavor to get to the point 
where you would answer yes or no to that question. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I did not understand how you wanted me 
to answer the question. 

The Chairman. I wanted you to answer the question whatever 
the truth was. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Absolutely, sir. 

The Chairman. Namely, on account of your not reporting these 
boys, was there any other way in which they could receive punish¬ 
ment except by hazing? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I said there was. 

The Chairman. You answered that “No.” 

Lieutenant Snyder. I said in the intervening time they could 
not have received punishment. They could have received correc¬ 
tion. 

The Chairman. That is what I am talking about—punishment. 
I am not talking about advice, admonition, or anything of that kind. 
I am asking if they could be punished—that is a plain English word, 
which we all understand—except by hazing. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I answered no; that punishment could not 
have been illegal. 

The Chairman. I am not asking about illegal punishment. The 
manner of the punishment to the recipient does not matter very 
much. Fift}^ stripes on the back hurt just as much whether legal 
or illegal, or whoever it may be inflicted b}^. I want to ask you, 
furthermore, whether you know or not that a considerable number 
of these boys who laughed in formation were later punished by haz¬ 
ing by upper class men ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know that a considerable number 
of them were; no, sir. I know some of them must have been, be¬ 
cause that was brought out in the court-martial of Mr. Mayo, in 
which I was called in. 

The Chairman. Do you know how many? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You do know it was a considerable number. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I say I do not know whether it was or not. 

The Chairman. You know that some of them were punished. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; evidently, because it was brought 
out in the trial. 

The Chairman. You know it was for this offense of laughing in 
formation. 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I knew as to those that came up in 
that case, but I did not know that any considerable number had 
been. 

The Chairman. You knew that some of them were hazed by 
upper class men for this particular offense, did you not? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I only knew that they were hazed by Mayo. 


184 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman.- Did you not know that is was for this offense? 

Lieutenant Snyder. In his case; yes, sir. But I did not know 
that any one else was up for hazing, who said it was for that offense? 

The Chairman. Then you do know that for this particular offense 
some boys, more or less, were afterward punished by hazing by the 
upper class men? 

Lieutenant Snyder. By Mr. Mayo. 

The Chairman. He w^as an upper class man, was he not? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then the answer to that is yes? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; only one upper class man. That is 
all I know. I do not know anything about this investigating board, 
sir. You may have all that before you. You have a great deal of 
information that I did not get- 

The Chairman. If you please, now, what we know and what you 
know is entirely immaterial. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I know; but I am trying to excuse my ina¬ 
bility to answer your question. Nothing would grieve me more 
than to annoy you, as I have apparently done. I would like to 
impress that upon you. Nothing can cause me greater grief than 
to annoy you gentlemen, as I apparently have done this morning. 
There is nothing on earth that I will not try to do if I can possibly 
do it: 

The Chairman. You know, do you not, Lieutenant, that Mr. 
Mayo, vrho inflicted hazing upon this fourth class man as a punish¬ 
ment for laughing in formation, was acquitted by the court-martial 
on the ground that these upper class men understood that such haz¬ 
ing would be agreeable to you as the officer in charge ? 

Ijieutenant Snyder. That is so, sir. I did not know^ that he w^as 
acquitted on that. 

The Chairman. Do you understand he w^as acquitted on that 
ground? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. What did you understand he was acquitted on? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I understand he was acquitted on the ground 
that it was his honest conviction that, that was the inference to be 
placed upon my words. That is the way the press had it, and as I 
received no official notification that satisfied me. If I had not 
received that which satisfied me I would have gone to the admiral 
and asked for an investigation. The press said: ‘‘Of course this 
does not mean that the statement of Lieutenant Snyder that he 
meant no such inference to be drawn must be disbelieved.^’ Seeing 
that, I was satisfied. If that had not been there they would have 
probably said I was there in the performance of my duty and inves¬ 
tigated my conduct. If they had not done so I would certainly 
have asked for it. It would have placed me in a very bad light, 
and I should have asked for a court of investigation or a court of 
inquiry, but as it came out it showed clearly my position 'vvas under¬ 
stood by the court-martial. 

The Chairman. Is that your whole answer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The reporter may strike out everything after the 
first sentence—the matter of personal explanation. I just want an 
answer to the question. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


185 


Mr. Reibe was asked in this court-martial proceeding ‘'whether 
any of the upper class men that had heard this conversation between 
the officer in charge and Mr. Brainard said anything to vou in rela¬ 
tion to the impression they formed as to the result of tliat conver¬ 
sation which they heard.” The answer is “Yes, sir.” “Please 
state to the court what it was.” “Right after dinner almost every¬ 
body said that they took it for granted that he intended the first 
class men to take the plebes in hand and correct them for the breach 
of discipline in laughing at an order.” ' 

You say, Lieutenant, that you didn’t inform them at that time 
that you were going to leave the building? 

Lieutenant Snydeu. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. But, as a matter of fact, you did leave the build- 

in^? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Afterwards; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. During the same day? 

Lieutenant Snyder. During the same day; in the afternoon; yes, 
sir. 

The Chairman. You have learned, have you, that while you were 
gone this hazing took place by Mayo? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I learned that in the court; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Some of these boys—a greater or less number— 
who committed the breach of discipline by laughing while the order 
was read, were punished by hazing by Mr. Mayo during your absence 
from the building on the same day? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What was your business away from the building? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Nothing, sir. I went home. I turned the 
office of the officer in charge over to my next in rank, the officer of 
the day, a fourth class man, and went home. 

The Chairman. Was that a naval officer or a cadet officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. A cadet officer of the da}^. I turned the 
office over. There was nothing to do, it being Sunday afternoon. 

The Chairman. Was this on Sunday afternoon? 

Lieutenant Snyder. This was on Sunday; yes, sir. There were 
no drills and no studies. 

The Chairman. You were supposed to remain there on duty, 
unless called away, the same on Sundays as on other days 

Lieutenant Snyder. Oh, no, sir. 

The Chairman. The officer in charge remains there? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. If you turn the duties over to the 
officer of the day, and there is nothing to do, you can go over home. 
My home is only about a block from the building. I walked over 
there. At that time I lived in this part of the yard. That is so; I 
lived up here. I lived up here, but that house is connected with a 
telephone, and I told him where I was going, and turned oyer to the 
officer of the day, which we are allowed to do when there is nothing 
to do here; no routine duties and no drills; I could turn over the 
duties of the office and go home for an hour or two. That is under¬ 
stood and authorized. 

The Chairman. Your understanding is that next Sunday the offi¬ 
cer in charge of Bancroft Hall will have a right to leave it any time 
he wishes? He is not supposed to remain there? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I should not say that he would. This was 
during the summer. 


186 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 

The Chairman. Have the rules and regulations been changed 
since then? 

Lieutenant Snyder. A great many—not rules, but customs. 
They had customs then that would not hold now, you see, because 
there are 900 now. 

The Chairman. What do you mean by customs? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Authorized customs. 

The Chairman. What do you mean by authorized customs? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Things you are given permission to do with¬ 
out being in the regulation books. 

The Chairman. Given permission by whom? 

Lieutenant Snyder. By the commandant, your superior. 

The Chairman. Has the commandant given permission since then 
to the officer in charge to leave the building ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I don’t know, sir. 

The Chairman. Has he changed the rule in any way about the 
building ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I don’t know, sir. 

The Chairman. Then I will recur to the question. Can the officer 
in charge of Bancroft Hall next Sunday leave the building any time 
he wishes to, or’is he supposed to remain there as on other days? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I don’t know what the present custom is. 

The Chairman. I am not talking about customs, but the regula¬ 
tions. That is what authorizes it. 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know what the regulation is. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, do you mind stating to us why you 
left for an hour and a half at that time? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir., I simply went home to see my fam¬ 
ily, sir; .to be at home. I had only been on shore duty for a month 
and a half, so I walked over and sat on the porch and talked to 
Mrs. Snyder and several visitors there, I think, at the time. I can 
not recall who was there, but it was purely a social home visit, that 
is all; just to get away from the routine and sit down and talk a 
little. Instead of going in my room and reading I went over there. 

The Chairman. No particular business called you away? You 
simply took occasion to go home ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You are very sure the midshipmen misunderstood 
you, or else that they misrepresented the facts, in stating that you 
informed them you were going to be absent during the afternoon? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. The only person I informed of that 
fact was the cadet officer of the day. I do not know who else knew 
it. He was the only one I said it to. I did not tell Mr. Brainard 
in front of the company. 

The Chairman. Where was it that you said it to the cadet officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. After dinner, just before I left. 

The Chairman. At the time of leaving? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You think the boys misunderstood you or that 
they misrepresented it? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not think they are misrepresenting, sir. 
I do not mean to say that they say I did it then as misrepresenting 
me. They understood that I did leave, and Mr. Brainard may have 
heard me tell the officer of the daj^ I don’t know. They may have 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


187 


thought that it came in the same conversation. I think they are 
perfectly honest in saying they thought I said it at that time, but 
I was certain I did not say it at that time, as afterwards was shown. 
The cadet officer of the day said that I told him, and I knew that 
I did tell him officially. That is the only time I did say it. 

The Chairman. You say you are unwilling to swear as to whether 
you made the other remarks that they attribute to you. You are 
unwilling to swear to it as a matter of memory? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; as a matter of memory. 

The Chairman. How is it you are able to swear positively about 
this, which occurred at the same time? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I knew I could not or that I would not have 
said that, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, it is not a matter of remembering that you 
did not say it, but it is a matter of your inferring that you could 
not have said it? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; but you see I could not have said 
anything of that kind, sir—that is, that I was going to leave the 
building, saying it at that time, or any time. Although as I said, 
I did not think they could draw any inference. Afterwards, the 
whole occurrence made such a little impression upon me that I could 
recall very little about it; but I would be very willing to take my 
oath, which I did, that I did not say ‘‘I am going to leave this 
building,'’ thereby practically saying “You can do anything you 
want to." 

The Chairman. In connection with the other language used? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not in connection with that. If at any time 
I notify a lot of midshipmen standing together that I am going to 
leave the building, it would sort of mean that I was giving them 
permission to indulge in anything. 

The Chairman. As a matter of fact, in this case it was understood 
as an invitation? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; they understood it so. 

Mr. Gregg. Mr. Snyder, you reported for duty here sometime in 
last August, I believe? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. On what date? 

Lieutenant Snyder. The 16th, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. On duty as a disciplinary officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I was simply ordered to report to the 
Naval Academy for duty. 

Mr. Gregg. After you reached here you were assigned to duty as 
a disciplinary officer? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir; for the time being. 

Mr. Gregg. Temporarily? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Temporary dutv, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. After you came here did you hear by rumor or other¬ 
wise of the pledge made by the midshipmen to Adihiral Brownson? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. After you got here? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I knew of that before. I heard it while I was 
at sea, sir. The midshipmen who graduated here for several suc¬ 
cessive years came to sea, and those with whom I served at sea told 
me there had been such a pledge. 


188 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Jvir. Gregg. Did you also know that the midshipmen had been 
absolved from that pledge? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. When did you first learn that after you came here, 
by hearsay or otherwise? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Not until this trouble about hazing began to 
•come out, sir. Then I got it from the papers. 

Mr. Gregg. Until what trouble about hazing? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Until the first trial began—the first case. I 
can not say which it was, but until the first one came out in the press 
about it. 

Mr. Gregg. At the beginning of this administration what instruc¬ 
tion, rule, or regulation, if any, was promulgated among the midship¬ 
men to prevent hazing? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know of any, sir. I can not remem¬ 
ber any. 

Mr. Gregg. What, if any, precautions different from those taken 
during Admiral Brownson’s time were taken to detect and prevent 
hazing? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not know of an}^. You see, sir, at the 
time I was on duty- 

Mr. Gregg. You do not know of any. That is enough. 

Lieutenant Snyder. Except- 

Mr. Gregg. Except what? 

Lieutenant Snyder. There was that one order, you know, that I 
spoke of. I said the commandant spoke to me several times and 
said that he did not know that there was any interference with 
fourth class men by the upper class men, but in order to make sure 
that there would not be he wanted the officers in charge to pay par¬ 
ticular attention while they were on duty. This was before the 
upper class men came back, when I was on duty. That was when 
the temporary order was issued that for the time being the upper 
class men were not to visit the fourth class men and the fourth class 
men were not to visit the upper class men. 

Mr. Gregg. I want to get clearly in my mind the number of upper 
class men at the academy during the different periods prior to the 
academic year. When you first came here how many of the upper 
class men were there? 

Lieutenant Snyder. There were not any. 

Mr. Gregg. In August? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Were there not any hold overs? 

Lieutenant Snyder. They were all on the cruise. They are only 
held over during the month of September. 

Mr. Gregg. Up to the 1st of September there never are any except 
the fourth class? 

Lieutenant Snyder. That is all. 

Mr. Gregg. When did they come in? 

Lieutenant Snyder. About the 1st of September. I do not 
remember the exact date. 

Mr. Gregg. When the upper class men came in? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. All except a few were granted a month’s leave, I 
believe? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


189 


Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. How many were retained at the academy, then, of 
the upper class men? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Between fifty and sixty, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Now, Mr. Snyder, you can answer this ^‘Yes” or 
‘‘No,” I think: Does not the expression “You do not seem to have 
them in hand” refer to the then-present existing conditions? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I did not intend it so. 

Mr. Gregg. But the language, 1 mean. 

Lieutenant Snyder. The language; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. The language does? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Could the then-present existing conditions have been 
brought about except by something done before that time, or left 
undone ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. I do not quite understand you. Will you 
give me that again? 

Mr. Gregg. Could the then-present existing conditions have been 
brought about except by something done or left undone prior to that 
time ? Do you understand my question ? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir; I do not exactly understand what you 
mean by “present existing conditions.” 

Mr. Gregg. They could not have had them in hand except by 
something done prior to that, could they? 

Lieutenant Snyder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Or left undone? 

Mr. Gregg. Or left undone. Is it not a fact that prior to that 
time the upper class men had no authority or jurisdiction over the 
fourth class men? 

Lieutenant Snyder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. That is all. 

The Chairman. I think that is all. Lieutenant. If we need you 
again we will send word to you. 

The subcommittee (at 12.45 o’clock p. m.) took a recess until 2 
o’clock p. m. 

AFTER recess. 

The subcommittee reassembled at the expiration of the recess,. 
Hon. E. B. Vreeland in the chair. 

STATEMENT OE LIEUT. COMMANDER C. B. McVAY, U. S. NAVY. 

Lieut. Commander C. B. McVay appeared before the subcommittee. 

The Chairman. Mr. McVay, we are here as a subcommittee of the 
Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives to 
obtain such information as possible respecting the discipline and man¬ 
agement of the academy, especially as it affects hazing. We are not 
administering the oath to the naval officers that are called before us, 
for the reason that the President and the Secretary of the Navy have 
issued an order through the superintendent of the academy that any 
officers desired shall appear here and give full information as to the 
questions asked in the performance of their duty. We assume that 
you are here in the performance of an official duty when you appear 
before the committee. 


190 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is your name and rank? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Charles B. McVay, lieutenant' 
commander, U. S. Navy. 

The Chairman. When did you graduate from the academy? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. In 1890. 

The Chairman. Did the practice of what we now call hazing pre¬ 
vail when you were a student here, during the four years ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, I think it has always pre¬ 
vailed here, more or less. When I was a fourth class man a member of 
my class was hazed very severely. 

The Chairman. That was the class of 1890? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. 1890. In 1886 one of them^ was 
hazed very severely. As those things go, you know, when it is stirred 
up it goes on for a while and then drops off for a little and then starts' 
.again. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. There was not any brutal hazing, 
not that I remember now- 

The Chairman. No one was severely injured? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Except in this particular case. 
It has changed a good deal, I find, since I was here. 

The Chairman. That is, the practices? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The practices. At that time a 
man who was in the senior class was bigger than he would ever be 
again until he got to be a commander of a ship, and they ran the 
discipline and all that sort of thing. This instance of which I speak 
was in connection with a classmate of mine. A third class man told 
him to drink some ink. He refused to do it, and the third class man 
happened to be larger than the fourth class man, so he made him do 
it. The senior class at that time had a regular court. It learned of 
this thing and this court was held and presented all the facts in the 
case to the superintendent, and the man was dismissed. That was 
about the only instance. This thing has ^rown up now to a point 
where the senior classes have apparently winked at it. 

The Chairman. That is the only severe form of hazing that you 
remember taking place while you were here ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes. 

The Chairman. Were these other practices, the sixteenth, and so 
forth, known when you were here as hazing practices ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir: that is taken from the 
drill. 

The Chairman. Will you describe the practices and the names of 
them that prevailed when you were here ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not remember. Most all of 
the hazing that I got was in a funny line. I think when I was a 
fourth class man they told me to stand on my head once. One man 
only made me stand on my head, and that was not done as they do 
it now. The practices then consisted chiefly in—well, I don’t remem¬ 
ber. I used to sin^ the wash list, and sing it to different tunes, and 
do things of that kind along the line of fun. Of course, there were 
other kinds. I simply happened to get that particular kind, I 
suppose. 

The Chairman. Did they have the practice of fagging? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


191 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; that has grown up within 
recent times. 

The CiiAiiiMAN. The performance of menial service by under class- 
men did not prevail at that time ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; in my time any fourth 
class man who was told to do that would have fought, and would have 
been backed in it. 

The Chairman. Where have you seen service? About what serv¬ 
ice have you done since you graduated in 1890? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. At sea, sir? 

The Chairman. Anywhere? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I first went to Pensacola. I was 
down in South America, and then I went over to the Chilean revolu¬ 
tion, by way of Cape Verde Islands; from there to San Francisco and 
to Honolulu. Then 1 was transferred to the Charleston and went to 
Santiago. Then I came back here for my final examination. From 
there I went to the Chicago. I went to Venezuela during the revolu¬ 
tion, and came back to the naval review of 1893. Then I went to 
Europe. In Europe I was transferred to the Bennington and went 
under orders to Bering Sea. I think we went around through the 
Straits of Magellan, as far as San Francisco, and went down to San 
Salvador for another revolution, and brought the vice-president of 
that place to San Francisco. Then I went to Honolulu again. I 
came back from there and went on duty as assistant to the inspector 
of ordnance in Pittsburg. Then I relieved him, and I was inspector 
of ordnance, I think, for about two years. Then I went to the 
Am'phitrite, which was a gunnery training ship. I was there three 
and a half years training gun captains, and part of that time was 
during the Spanish war. After leaving the Amphitrite I went back 
in charge of ordnance inspection in Pittsburg. From there I went to 
the Hartford, and I spent the last three years on the Hartford as watch 
officer and chief engineer and navigator, part of the time as acting 
executive. Then I came here, for the first time in fifteen 3 ^ears. 

The Chairman. During that time that you were absent were you 
able to hear from the academy or keep in touch with it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. For the last three summers, while 
I was chief engineer and navigator of the Hartford, we have taken out 
midshipmen from here. 

The Chairman. So you got a full history of what had been 
going on? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; as a matter of fact that 
is one of the reasons I came here. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any first class that has hazed 
the lower class men except the present class, that has just graduated, 
back of the time when you were in the academy? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I only knew from the members 
of this first class telling me. 

The Chairman. That is what I mean, by such information as has 
come to you. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They have told me that when 
they entered here the first class men hazed them, and some of the 
worst hazing they got was from them. 

The Chairman. From the first class? 


192 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. From the first class. You see 
this is a new scheme that the Admiral started when I came here. 

The Chaikman. You mean Admiral Brownson? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; Admiral Sands—mean 
this department of discipline. It is the first time in the history of 
the academy that officers have ever been closely associated with 
the midshipmen, so far as I know. 

The Chairman. What change has taken place? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, when I was here they used 
to have four officers in charge. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. And the whole number of mid¬ 
shipmen in the academy was about the same as one of the large 
classes here now. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. About 300 people. The officers 
in charge were on duty one day in four. That was all they did. 
The other three days they did not have much to do. That was a 
time when we had plenty of officers. But now the academy has 
grown so large that Admiral Sands has established this new depart¬ 
ment of discipline. Each of we four have charge of a quarter of the 
midshipmen. 

The Chairman. You mean that you have charge of them all the 
time. Commander? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not all the time; not in the 
drills or studies. We have nothing to do with the drills and studies. 

The Chairman. I mean you have charge of them as a disciplinary 
matter? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We have charge of them as a 
disciplinary matter. We have charge of them all the time, and 
where the commandant used to assign demerits and grant requests, 
and all that sort of thing, we do it. We refer serious matters to him, 
of course, and get his advice, and talk it over with each other. So 
that instead of the discipline officers being regarded as natural 
enemies, we are the people to whom they come for information and 
advice, and we instruct them and all that sort of thing. That is 
the way I happened to hear of these things. These young men 
would talk more or less freely about them. 

The Chairman. You now have four disciplinary officers, and each 
one has charge of a quarter of the cadets all the time? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. All the time. 

The Chairman. There is one officer on duty to-day, down at 
Bancroft Hall? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. There is always one on duty. 

The Chairman. When did he go on duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. He went on duty at 9.15 this 
morning. 

The Chairman. And will remain on until 9.15 to-morrow morning? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Until 9.15 to-morrow morning. 

The Chairman. He is in charge of all the cadets there in the 
building? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Of all of them; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where are the other three disciplinary officers 
during that time? How are they in charge of a quarter of them? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


193 


Lieutenant-Commander MoVay. Well, we have regular office hours. 
We go down there in the morning and go to our offices. There are 
four offices. 

The Chairman. You mean the three who are not in charge of 
the hall for the day? 

Lieutenant-Commander MoVay. All four go to their offices before 
9.30 in the morning, to. attend to all the routine business, such as, 
assigning demerits, and that sort of thing, granting requests; and 
when that is completed we take our conduct sheets to the command¬ 
ant, and then inspect our rooms. There are 220 rooms, for instance, 
in my division. After that is through I inspect all the rooms in my 
division. 

The Chairman. Your division, as you call it, has 220 rooms. Are 
they scattered around among the rest, or separate? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; they are together, and 
my office is near them. My office is near my division, and the com¬ 
pany commanders’ rooms are in the vicinity of their companies. 
They also come to me in the morning for instructions that I may 
wish to give them. Our work is largely over about noon, as to that 
part of it. 

The Chairman. You may continue. Lieutenant. You were 
explaining how each disciplinary officer has an office there in his 
own department of about 220 rooms. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We attend to everything. That 
is, we look out for their conduct, and instruct them, and we send for 
them to find out the ones that are going behind in their studies. 
We find out why it is, and all that sort of thing, and advise them. 

The Chairman. You do not sleep there nights? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. One officer sleeps there every 
night. 

The Chairman. Then you are really in charge of them from what 
time in the morning until what time at night? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, as I say, we are in charge 
of them all the time, because I have been called on every time anyone 
wants to know anything. I am practically at their disposal. 

The Chairman. Where do they call on you? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They have called on me for 
advice. 

The Chairman. Where are you when he calls on you, if you are 
not on duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Of course all of us live in the 
yard. My house is near the quarters. They would come and ask 
questions, or telephone up> and ask things—not frequently, but 
occasionally. Some one will get in trouble, and I have to come 
and see about it, and all that sort of thing. 

The Chairman. That, you say, is a new feature in the discipline 
here ? . • 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Before Admiral Sands’s time the discipline officer 
on duty, or available, to whom the cadets could go, was the one in 
the building? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes; but they would not go to 
them as they do to us, because^that was an incident. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-13 


194 


BLAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Do I understand that the one on duty there now 
is vested with authority which he did not have before this year; 
that is, the granting of some of these requests? Is discretionary 
power put in his hands that was formerly in the hands of the super¬ 
intendent of cadets? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; I do not think we have any 
more authority than they had, except that we are directly under the 
‘commandant and under his ideas. There are just the four of us, 
and up to this time the discipline duties were assigned as a sort of 
side issue, if I may use that term. 

The Chairman. I thought I understood you to say that the dis¬ 
ciplinary officers now had some authority in granting these different 
requests that formerly had to be submitted to the commandant. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That is true, but not as I under¬ 
stood you to say. I mean this, that when the academy has grown 
to practically four times the size it was before, it would be imprac¬ 
ticable for the commandant to handle all the requests and all the 
numerous things that come up. So that has been divided so that 
these four officers do what he used to do, in that way. But as for 
the officer who is absolutely on duty, he only grants more requests 
than he did previously because he understands from the commandant 
what is required, and then we meet and talk over these things, 
practically every morning. 

The Chairman. I see. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Up to the time I came here the 
officers who were on duty as officers in charge, as I understand, 
were people who were stationed in other departments. For instance, 
they were instructors in French, English, and the different depart¬ 
ments around the yard, seamanship, ordnance, physics, and chem¬ 
istry, and they would come on in charge of the midshipmen for one 
day. There were probably somewhere between 12 and 20 of these 
officers, who would not know the midshipmen, and it would be more 
or less an incident, instead of something in which they were par¬ 
ticularly interested. 

The Chairman. You think this present system puts the discipli¬ 
nary officers in very close touch with the cadets? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And enables you to know what they are thinking 
about, and what their wants are, and you are on hand to grant a 
reasonable one when you think it is consistent with discipline; and 
you are able to keep much closer track of them than under the old 
system ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, far better than ever before. 

The Chairman. When did you come on duty here as a disciplinary 
officer ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. About the last of September. 

The Chairman. Not until the last of September? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; that was the time they 
started. 

The Chairman. You succeeded Lieutenant Snyder, who was 
assigned temporarily? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir. He was one of the offi¬ 
cers, I believe. I think I was the last one of the four whom the 
superintendent had designated for this duty to arrive. When I 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


195 


arrived I had just come from sea, and had gone on leave. I came 
back, and when I arrived this was started, this new scheme. 

The Chairman. When you came here in the last part of September, 
did you hear that any hazing was going on at that time ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I heard no tiling of it at all. As 
a matter of fact, I understood that there was no hazing, by reason of 
certain pledges that the midshipmen had given. 

The Chairman. Did you understand when you came here, or soon 
after, that they had been released from those pledges? 

lieutenant-Commander McVay. I never heard that until I became 
a member of the board of investigation. I was one of the members 
of the board of investigation, and that was the first I had heard 
of their being released from any pledges. I saw no indication 
of any hazing until I happened to discover Mr. Kimbrough in that 
condition—no, the day before that, I happened to be in the comman¬ 
dant’s office, and he was investigating the subject then. The next 
day the board was formed. I saw no mdication of it except once^ 
when I went into the mess hall and noticed that a number of chairs 
around the table were sitting back. I asked the cadet commander 
who sits at the staff table, or rather I remarked to him, that that was 
a very peculiar thing, for a certain number of chairs to be sitting 
back, and I told him to have that stopped. That night it had 
stopped, except that I looked around again and saw a few more. I 
called to get the cadet ofiicers and say that 

that thin^would not be tolerated, and I wanted it stopped imme¬ 
diately. Ever since then I have seen no chairs back. But I thought 
that that was one of these- 

The Chairman. Rates? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. One of these silly things. No, I 
did not know anything about rates then. I thought there was no 
hazing, but that this was just something that they would start on 
this new class. 

The Chairman. Did they not have rates in your day? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No. I noticed there were certain 
things; you would hardly call them rates. They had two benches, 
these old benches down here. One belonged to the first class and 
had been passed down from time immemorial. 

The Chairman. We know about that. Were there not rates in 
your time about walks ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The fourth class men could not go 
in lover’s lane, I believe, and the fourth classes did not go to the 
dances; but that is more or less official, because the authorities 
never wanted them to go. 

The Chairman. Did the first class in your day assume the right to 
make them brace up, and assume a military carriage? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, only as a senior class man 
would make another class man. I do not remember about that. But 
it was not as a rate, but because they had the right. 

The Chairman. You did not call it that, but I suppose the first 
class in yohr day felt that some attention should be paid to their 
superior condition by under class men the same as they do now ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, I probably did it a good 
deal, because I was a second class man petty officer, and as a first 
class man I was captain of the company. 



196 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. The mess hall is very large, I beheve? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. — 

The Chairman. And very noisy, I suppose, with the^rattling of 
dishes, and a great many waiters moving about, which makes a good 
deal of noise; besides the conversation which would legitimately 
take place. The boys have a right to talk? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They do. 

The Chairman. And they are visiting at the tables? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They are not to visit, now. The 
seats are assigned- 

The Chairman. I do not mean to go away visiting, but with theh 
immediate neighbors. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, yes. 

The Chairman. There is no restriction upon their talking in an 
ordinary way ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. None at all. 

The Chairman. So that all together makes a good deal of noise. 
We notice in the proceedings that a number of the boys were required 
to learn the headlines of the papers, and shout them out. We could 
not understand when we came here how that could escape the atten¬ 
tion of an officer, but I think we can understand now how on account 
of the noise it would be a very easy thing to do. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Very easy. 

The Chairman. But in order to sit on the edge of a chair, the chair, 
of necessity, must be pushed back? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. It must be pushed back. 

The Chairman. I should suppose the eye of the officer in charge, 
if it is his duty to keep watch of it during dinner time, could look the 
whole length of the haU, during any amount of confusion, and see 
that the chairs were out of line? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Have you been in the mess hall ? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The officer in charge is practically 
at right angles to the line of tables. 

The Chairman. It is L-shaped. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The tables run up and down in 
this way [indicating!, and the officer in charge is right in the center. 
He can see probably for several tables down. 

The Chairman. But he would not be able to get a line- 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. He would not be able to get a line 
on the others; no. On several occasions—I think I have done it 
twice, perhaps—I have gone to other tables, one at each end of the 
mess haU, to eat, after these instructions that I gave. That was 
particularly to see whether the food they got was the same as it was 
at the staff table, and to see how the service was. That was to 
gratify my personal curiosity, or rather to see how things were going; 
and after I stopped that the second time I have never seen any 
chairs back. 

The Chairman. How long was that after you came here? You 
came the latter part of September ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That was within the first few 
days. I do not remember whether it was the first time after they 
returned. They returned the 15th. You know for a time the mid¬ 
shipmen were taken away from Bancroft Hall entirely, and there 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 197 

was no one there but the officer in charge and the workmen. They 
were quartered on the different ships, and in the hospital. Then 
they came back and went in the hall, and I suppose this was either 
the first or the second time I was on duty when I noticed this thing. 

The Chairman. Were all of the classes back at that time? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. On the 15th of October they werej 
yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You say this was the latter part of September 
that you noticed tliis ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; I did not notice it then. 
When I came here there were none here but fourth class men and 
some upper class men, second and third and first class men, who had 
been held over for examinations. 

The Chairman. Those that had not returned, then, did not 
receive the benefit of your order that they should sit up at the table 
in the regular manner? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That order was not given until all 
of them were here, and we were in the regular mess hall. 

The Chairman. You think that particular class of hazing was not 
practiced after you gave these orders ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I never saw it again. 

The Chairman. You looked for it, did you? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How would you look for it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Facing here, I could see half a 
dozen tables on either side, and half a dozen on this other side. Then 
on the occasions when I was at either end of the mess hall, I could 
see, and naturally if .they had done it down there they would quit 
when I went to that part of the mess hall. 

The Chairman. Yes. Well, this system puts you in very close 
touch with the cadets. You get so you are very conversant with 
their manners and habits. How is it, with such an amount of hazing 
going on as was developed by your investigation and by the court- 
martial, being in such close contact with the cadets as you are under 
this system, that there was an entire failure to discover it until the 
catastrophe happened in the case of Kimbrough? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That has always been the most 
difficult thing to detect here—the hazing—and the records of the 
board of investigation show that the principal hazing took place at 
times when the officer in charge was very bus . 

The Chairman. For example, at dinner? 

Lieutenant-C mmander McVay. No; not at dinner. 

The Chairman. It seems to have been as much at dinner as any 
other time—sending them under the table. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. If you have read the records you 
will note that none of this breakfast carrying, and getting under the 
table, took place within the range of vision of the officer in charge. 
It was always away at one end of the mess hall or the other where he 
could not see. We found in the board of investigation of which I was 
a member that the other hazing took place, as a rule, from after drill 
up to the evening supper call. At that time the officer in charge was 
chiefiy around the grounds, inspecting. The commandant told us 
that we had better look around the grounds. We have practically 
the same duties as the officer of the day in the Army, to a certain 


198 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


extent, so we are responsible for the grounds as well as the buildings, 
but it is chiefly with the buildings, and midshipmen. So we used to 
go around and inspect those. Then we would come down and get 
ready for supper. Of course they knew, as a matter of routine in 
official life, when the officer in charge is gouig to be there, and when 
he is not. A great deal of this hazing took place there. The next 
part of it was between 7 o’clock and 7.30. They come from supper 
between 7 and 5 minutes past, and go to evening study call at 7.30. 
Between those two times the midshipmen who are on duty—and there 
are 22 of them—bring their reports to the office and are relieved, and 
22 more go on duty. The officer in charge collected those reports, 
and also instructed these new midshipmen on how to do their duty, 
and what was expected of them. That took that much time. The 
other time was between 9.30 and 10 o’clock, between which times 
these conduct sheets came back, and the officer in charge had to take 
them up. If you will notice, it is all done in these three times. There 
was nothing done during the study hour. They were not molested 
during the study hours. It all took place at certain times. Where 
you run on military schedule the people under it would naturally 
know, and take these times. It was perfectly simple. When this 
difficulty came out they had these six midshipmen up in the com¬ 
mandant’s office. I thought that if there was any hazing going on 
these times would be selected for it. Therefore I said I would go 
around and inspect during these unexpected times, and I did it that 
afternoon between drill and supper. I intended to do it between 7 
o’clock and 7.30, but I could not on account of press of business. 
Really, as I have always said, a man down there is a cross between 
the commandant at West Point and a clerk at a big hotel; there is 
so much to do there. So I could not go that time, but I made up my 
mind to go between 9.30 and 10 o’clock, and make sure of it. I had 
been through these rooms once, but I could not go this other time 
that I had laid out, and I made up my mind to go between 9.30 and 
10; but in the meantime, in making the inspection of the building, I 
accidentally got into this room and found this young man in that 
condition. 

The Chairman. The breakdown of the discipline, then, occurred 
owing to the failure of the cadet officers to report violations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Absolutely. 

The Chairman. Is not one lesson that is to be drawn from this, 
that the exact military schedule should be from time to time departed 
from, and inspections made at the unexpected moment, instead of in 
the regular order day after day? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; At the present time it 
makes absolutely no difference. If the cadet officers and petty offi¬ 
cers do their duty it makes absolutely no difference whether the 
inspection is made at odd times, or at all. 

The Chairman. The 'hf” is exactly the proposition. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. But they do it now. 

The Chairman. They do it now; they would naturally do it now. 
Two or three hundred of them are in a condition where they are liable 
to expulsion. Your court-martial and the dismissals, etc., have natu¬ 
rally made discipline rather easy afthe present time; but I am speak¬ 
ing of a year from now, when the new classes come in. In other words. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 199 

must you not from time to time find out for yourselves whether your 
cadet officers are doing their duty or not ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We do. 

The CiiAiiiMAN. In order to do that must you not visit them when 
they do not expect it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We not only must, but we do. 
Except that this court-martial and this accidental thing that has 
come out have hurried matters I do not think it would have made 
the slightest difference in the world as to the discipline of the place— 
say, for instance, at the present time or within a month we would 
have gotten results, just the same. It was only a question of learn¬ 
ing what needed correction and then correcting it. But there were 
so many things which came up and which we corrected from time to 
time in educating these young gentlemen here to do their duty- 

The Chairman. How did you know that Kimbrough was injured? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Why, I inspected him. 

The Chairman. Was that in the course of the ordinary routine or 
was word brought to you? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, no; I discovered it myself. 
As a matter of fact the room had been inspected by the midshipmen 
on duty, and they had absolutely no idea of their duty. I discovered 
that on the practice cruise. 

The Chairman. If you had known wffien you came here the latter 
part of September that the classes had been released from their word 
of honor, which they had given to Admiral Browmson about hazing, 
would not the knowledge of that fact have put you on your guard? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; I was prepared—well, it 
might have; yes. If I had known that there was a chance of hazing 
taking place it might have put me on my guard; but even so I do not 
think I should have discovered it any sooner. I w^as ])repared to 
accept the fact that there was no hazing here, as I stated. Of course, 
if anybody had told me that the pledges had been renounced I would 
have started out and told them something about hazing. 

The Chairman. Well, hazing, in the opinion of the officers, is con¬ 
sidered a flagrant violation of the regulations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Very; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is, it is a direct violation of the laws of the 
land, and therefore must be more important than matters which are 
mere violations of discipline of the the academy—perhaps not in 
their effect. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. To us —or to me, I wdll not say 
to us, although I think it is to us—tne most serious thing was the 
matter of neglect of duty. If a man did his duty here he would do it 
afloat, and if he aid not do it afloat on the practice cruise then he was 
not doing it here. So the principal thing to my mind was the ques¬ 
tion of the performance of dut}^, and if he did his duty—that is, as a 
cadet officer or a cadet petty officer—there could be no such thing 
as hazing. 

The Chairman. Oh, that is self-evident. We understand that. 
The act of Congress approved March 3, 1903, provides that the 
Superintendent of the Naval Academy shall make such rules, to be 
approved by the Secretary of the Navy, as will effectually prevent 
the practice of hazing; aiid any cadet found guilty of participating 



200 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


in or encouraging or countenancing such practice shall be summarily 
expelled from the academy.” 

That is an offense which is especially set down by act of Congress, 
especially distinguished from other forms of offenses here at the 
academy. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The Superintendent, is required to take especial 
notice and make special rules for the suppression of that form of vio¬ 
lation, and to promulgate them. I assume that officers in the per¬ 
formance of their duty, in carrying out the laws of the land coming 
to this academy, would take especial note of an offense which has 
called forth an act of Congress and a special provision for its sup¬ 
pression. Your general knowledge when you came here was that 
there was no hazing. 

Lieutenant-Commander MoVay. My general knowledge, yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And there was nothing up to the time of this 
instance which you have mentioned to give you any suspicion that 
hazing existed? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Nothing whatever. 

The Chairman. If you had known when you arrived here that the 
absence of hazing during the preceding two years arose, in part at 
least, from the fact that the classes had been required to give their 
personal word of honor, and if you had known they had been released 
from that word of honor, would it not have been likely to have 
called your attention more particularly to hazing and to the possi¬ 
bility that it might have started in again ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think it would; most undoubt¬ 
edly it would have, but, as I say, we have so many things to look 
after and to correct that even that would have become only one of 
a number of things to correct. There were a great many things 
here which were bad and the result of what you might call disin¬ 
tegration, generally. 

The Chairman. The general breaking down of discipline among 
the cadet officers? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. To what do you attribute that? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Part of the midshipmen were 
quartered in this new building, Bancroft Hall, and the other parts 
were around in these various detached buildings around the yard. 
They were not all combined in one place. The officer on duty was 
up here, and I imagine that he had all he could do to look out for the 
one building, with occasional visits to these other buildings outside— 
making those at various times, any time he saw fit. I think as a 
result of that these people were not particularly watched and these 
things grew up from tnat. That is merely an idea that I have, 
you know. 

The Chairman. You think it is important, then, to have dis¬ 
ciplinary officers in sufficient number and of sufficient ability along 
that line, to know all the while that the cadet officers are doing their 
duty; that they must be watched to that extent from time to time ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do, indeed; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You think the fact that they were building, here, 
and therefore broken up more or less—with the midshipmen quar- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


201 


tered in different places—interfered very much with keeping track 
of them and getting information as to what they were doing ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McV AY. Very much; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, one reason for the breakdown of discipline 
was owing to that fact? 

Lieutenant-Commander McV ay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What other things do you consider, in your mind, 
have helped to bring about this state of affairs which you found ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. This matter of not having a per¬ 
manent corps of discipline officers—these folks being selected from 
arnong so many, which made it impossible for them to know the 
midshipmen. 

The Chairman. You think disciplinary officers should be left 
here when they are found to be well fitted for their duties; that for 
the benefit of the academy they should be left here for a considerable 
time ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would not like to pass on that. 

The Chairman. There can be no doubt about that in anyone's 
mind. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would not like to say that. 

• The Chairman. That is a matter that is self-evident; that in this 
kind of service a man who has the ability and acquires a knowledge 
and acquaintance of the midshipmen, which it takes time to get, 
should be left here a considerable time, so that the school would get 
the benefit of his experience. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We would be constantly making 
some discoveries; we would go out in the morning and one of the 
cadet officers would not be there—one of the discipline officers. 
The ranks are full, the files are full, as far as we can see—880 of them. 
A man would look around, and the next thing we come across is 
that two or three are absent. Then we find a general substitution. 
If a cadet officer stays away, another one comes up. There are 125 
of those midshipmen, and you must know them. You must be able 
to count up. It is a very easy thing to go at in the morning for 
inspection and see the line of file closers full and the companies 
full, but if you do not know whether it is one man or another 
man- 

Mr. Padgett. They would substitute a man on you ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They would do it; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do they do it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I have no doubt but what they 
do, because the line of file closers would be full. 

The Chairman. Have you ever found any specific instance of it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; that is merely a supposi¬ 
tion. You understand, when this investigation started we had only 
been here a month and a half, or something like that, and we had 
been gathering these things up in our minds ready to act. 

The Chairman. What proportion of these first class men are class 
officers of one kind or another? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Practically all of this class which 
has just graduated, 120, were officers—practically all this present 
senior class. There are so many to the brigade, and if there are not 
enough upper class men to fill those vacancies they take some for the 
junior positions from the class below. That happened last year. 



202 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


because we did Jiot have enough to fill out. This year all the cadet 
officers are petty officers from the senior class. 

Mr. Padgett. What is the aggregate number of cadet and petty 
officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would have to figure that out. 
To a company there would be 141, I should say, approximately. 

Mr. Dawson. Seventy to a battalion? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes; I should say 141. That 
leaves extra for the adjutant and battalion brigade chief petty 
officer, which would be 142. 

Mr. Dawson. Eleven to each company, and three to each batta¬ 
lion in addition to those eleven—three to the brigade in addition to 
the battalion officers? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Three to the brigade; the cadet 
commander, cadet adjutant, and brigade chief petty officer. It is 
all on the form there. We have it on there. You notice the petty 
officers there run down. 

The Chairman. If we could be sure that these practices they call 
hazing could be kept within small limits, where there was no danger 
of injury to the midshipmen, it would be of some assistance, would 
it not, in rounding these boys into shape ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not think so? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; because there is no 
finish. If you make a start, there is no finish. If you allow this 
thing in the slightest degree you have no way of knowing whether 
everybody is going to carry it to the same degree. I do not believe 
in it in any way, shape, or form. 

The Chairman. I made the assumption, if we could be sure that it 
could be kept within reasonable bounds, so that its application would 
be principally to correct the conduct and table manners, and those 
things, of the boys; might it then be of some use? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; I do not think it has 
any use whatever. 

The Chairman. You repudiate the whole system, do you? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; I do. There is abso¬ 
lutely no use for it. The boy who has no table manners is apt to 
be a sensitive boy, and this rough, uncouth method of correction 
is worse than the fault, and he will learn in time. 

The Chairman. You do not think the amount of hazing that pre¬ 
vailed while you were here did any harm, do you, except in the one 
case; do you? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir. 

The Chairman. The drinking of ink, I refer to. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir. 

The Chairman. If it had always been kept within bounds as it 
was during your time would you still think it was a bad practice? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; I would. 

The Chairman. Have you always been of that opinion? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; I think it is bad— 
that is, I will not say always. I ma}^ not have been of that opinion 
when I was a third class man; but ever since I have left here I have 
thought it was bad. 

The Chairman. I mean since you graduated. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


203 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. It is a matter that can not be 
controlled among 880 boys, even if they were all ministers’ sons, 
or something better. You would still have it. I think the young 
men here are just as good as they ever were. I think the last class 
that has graduated is better than any class that has graduated from 
here for sometime. 

The Chairman. The one that has Just gone? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The one that has just gone. I 
think it was a very bright lot of young men. But they were brought 
up wrong. They had things foisted on them. Of their own free 
will they abolished certain things that were outrageous and that they 
saw were bad. When we started this scheme of discipline, requiring 
them to do their duty, everybody was objecting to it. The midship¬ 
men were saying how unhappy they were—the idea of their not being 
able to do tne things they had been brought up to do. But now 
everyone is glad it was done, and everybody is happy, because things 
are running smoothly, and they are all doing their duty in the way 
it was intended they should do it. 

The Chairman. Are there not a hundred midshipmen here who 
are still in rather a discontented frame of mind ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. You mean those who are- 

The Chairman. Who are waiting to know whether the ax will fall? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think they have started to work 
now. I think they hope to escape from any punishment they might 
have had. 

The Chairman. I understand the third class is to meet to-night. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not believe very much in 
those class meetings. When it comes to matters of discipline, I do 
not believe in their having anything to say about it. 

The Chairman. The committee is of the opinion that it is of 
the utmost importance to have the cadets take this action in their 
classes formally. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Of course I am before the com¬ 
mittee. Things have been turned over to them, undoubtedly, to 
run. They have said there will be no hazing, there will be no goug¬ 
ing, and certain other things that they have added of their own 
will. There will not be this, that, or the other thing. As a con¬ 
sequence, they have gotten an idea that they are going to run the 
place and that the academy is for the midshipmen. The academy, 
as I figure it, exists only for the Navy, and I do not believe in their 
having anything to say about it. I do not believe if the cadet 
officers do their duty, as they did just before this graduation and 
as they are doing it now, that it makes the slightest bit of differ¬ 
ence what any class says. 

The Chairman. I might say to you that the committee are 
strongly in favor of this action by the classes, not because they 
think the discipline will break down in the future here, but because 
now several hundred of these students, under the letter of the law 
as it stands at present, are not only liable, but ought, to be und er 
the law brought before a court-martial and di missed. We think 
the law is unnecessarily severe in that respect, and that a lighter 
punishment would be much more suitable in a majority or the 
cases. We think it will have a great effect upon the opinion of 
the country and of Congress if they know that these boys not 



204 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


only must submit to discipline because they will be made to, but 
they have seen the disaster that invariably comes from the system, 
and are now in a frame of mind where they are voluntarily willing 
to turn in and put their faces against it. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, I think it is very nice for 
them to do it; but I do not think it makes any difference. 

The Chairman. Not as a pledge, or anything of that kind, but 
simply to show Congress that they realize they have been wrong 
and are willing to say so. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think in that way it is a manly 
spirit, and I have no doubt the thing is very proper; but I do not 
admit that a class president, who holds no cadet rank, has very 
much to say regarding the discipline. When any instructions for 
the classes are given, they are not given through a class president 
whom they select. They can not select anybody to command their 
ships or be senior to them in after life. We send for the senior 
cadet officer, and give him instructions. There may be a class 
president in my division. If there is, I do not know who he is. 

The Chairman. So far as the relations of this committee with 
the class is concerned, that was entirely unofficial. We wanted a 
representative man from each class to come before us. If we sent 
for the president of the class, one whom they had elected, they 
could not deny that he was a representative man. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. For personal things I think it 
is a very good thing. They get together, and they have little things 
that they want to do, and I believe in it; but when it comes to mili¬ 
tary things I do not believe in the class president’s idea, because 
this thing has resulted from that—this condition of affairs. 

Mr. Dawson. Yet you do not object to having the moral oppo¬ 
sition of the boys to hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not at all. I think the more 
th^y oppose it, the better it will be; but it is not necessary. It 
makes absolutely no difference, so far as we are concerned at the 
academy, whether they are opposed to hazing or not. The cadet 
officers and petty officers are not only willing but anxious to do 
their duty. 

Mr. Dawson. What brought these cadet and petty officers into 
that frame of mind? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The idea that we have been 
working out ever since our arrival, from the superintendent down. 
We came here and found this network of rates and things—that 
they agreed to do this, and not to do that, and all that sort of thing, 
as a class. The superintendent directed the commandant, as I 
understand it, and he told all of us, and we told them, that we did 
not want pledges, that the Naval Academy regulations were good 
enough to work under. 

The Chairman. Without discrediting, and giving entire approval 
to the work that you have done, which I think has been very valu¬ 
able, do you not think also the result of the system, as it has unfolded 
before them, is that they have seen the end of it; that they have 
seen the injuries that come from it; that they have seen the academy 
and the students discredited in the eyes of the country, and of Con- 
gre.ss: that they have reached the end of the story; that, in addi- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 205 

tion to your efforts, that has helped to show them that the road 
they have been pursuing is wrong and leads to disaster? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The working of the midship¬ 
man mind was very queer when I was here, and still is. They 
interpret things in various ways. I think they have seen, as you 
say, that they have reached the end of it, and that it must cease. 
As a matter of fact, it has ceased. As I say, 1 think it would have 
ceased anyway. It was merely a question of time.. It would not 
have been done so quickly if this thing had not come up; but we 
would have gotten at these things sooner or later, and they would 
have been corrected, without doubt. We would have gotten this 
healthy idea. There is no trouble about it now at all. As soon 
as we found out what was required, and after they did it a while, 
they found it was not really such an awful thing to do. It is the 
the first time in the history of the academy that duty has ever been 
done as it is being done now. 

Mr. Gregg. Along that line, the officers for this ensuing year— 
the cadet officers—will all be out of the first class? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. If the first class officers, the petty officers who are 
members of the first class, feel that their conduct will be upheld 
and approved by their classmates, do you not think it will be a 
stimulus to them to perform their duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, within two months now 
it has made absolutely no difference whether it was a classmate, 
or a roommate, or who it was. Anybody that has done anything 
has been reported for it. 

Mr. Gregg. In that connection, now, if they know their class 
approves of their conduct, will it not at least make it more pleasant 
for them to discharge their duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, if you want to make it 
more pleasant; yes, ^ir. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it not a fact that as the result of its being made 
more pleasant they will be more diligent in the discharge of their 
duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not think the cadet officers 
and petty officers to-day—and I will say back a month or two— 
could be expected to be more diligent than they have been. It is 
not possible. And no matter what they do now it can not be made 
any better. Of course, it is much more pleasant for them. 

The Chairman. You never have had any experience in the 
handling of boys until you came here, except such as you had on 
shmboard ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I had done practically nothing 
but handle young men and boys on shipboard, as you say. I was on a 
gunnery training ship for three years and a half, and then I was on a 
training ship where I had for three years 125 in my division that I 
had to train. 

Mr. Dawson. Pretty lively boys, on a training ship? 

Lieuteannt-Commander McVay. Yes; they are. 

The Chairman. You feel pretty confident, then, that you can take 
given conditions and look into the future, and see that they will be 
maintained? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think so; yes, sir. I would 


206 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 

not come out and say that hazing will never be here again, because 
everything has its up and down. There have been periods here when 
there would be hazing, and then there would not be hazing. Then 
there would be hazing, and somebody would be discovered and dis¬ 
missed, and then there would not be hazing. 

The Chairman. We are glad to notice the confidence that prevails 
in the disciplinar}- force that they are entirely able to control hazing 
and other violations. I say we are glad to see it; and yet there 
seems to be a disposition to scout any notion that any willingness on 
the part of the boys is necessary; that it can be carried through 
whether eight or nine hundred boys are in favor of it or not. You 
may be right about that. I had quite a number of years’ experience 
in handling boys years ago, and my observation at the end of it was 
that boys are rather uncertain. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think they are, sir. 

The Chairman. I see by the very last report of Admiral Brownson, 
that in closing his service in this academy, at the end of a great many 
years of handling men and boys on board ship, the admiral said in 
that report that he was glad to say to the Secretary of the Navy that 
not a single case of hazing had occurred during the year, and that he 
was fully satisfied that tms unmanly practice had been stamped out 
forever in this academy. Since that time nearly the whole student 
body in this school has been included in an outburst of hazing. I 
merely call that to your attention, with all deference, as a warning 
that 800 boys here may possibly, in spite of the supervision of those 
disciplinar}^ officers, continue some of these violations, and that it 
may not be a bad thing if these cadets can be brought voluntarily, 
pubhcly, and officially to declare their intention to cooperate with 
the officers in carrying it out. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think I said that anyone who 
said there would never be any hazing here would be mistaken. It has 
broken out from time to time. I do not think this hazing has 
broken out since that report. 

The Chairman. Since his report? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. There was hazing at the time, 
but it is not a new thing. 

The Chairman. Since Admiral Brownson’s report? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not think it has broken out 
since then. 

The Chairman. What is tliis that you have been having here during 
the last few months? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. It has continued. It has not 
broken out. 

The Chairman. You do not think hazing has been originally dis¬ 
covered here during the last few months ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; it has not. 

The Chairman. You think his correct was incorrect in saying- 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think it has not been detected. 
It is very hard to detect; but this system of fagging, which any one 
of the midshipmen will say is worse than physical hazing- 

The Chairman. It is a mean kind of hazing. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. A mean kind of nasty hazing. 
That was here; but whether anybody knew of it or not I do not know. 
Certainl}^ I did not know it when I came in here. 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 207 

Mr. Gregg. You used the word fagging in the sense of compelling 
m enial service ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Compelling menial service; yes, 
sir. 

^Ir. Gregg. Performing menial.service for them? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Making them bring breakfast up, 
and that sort of thing. 

Mr. Gregg. Opening windows and winding clocks? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Opening windows, winding clocks, 
and all that sort of thing. A boy will say “ Other people have been 
stood on their heads, and I will stand on my head. That is nothing.” 
That is foolish, he may do that, or he may go thi’ough the 16th, and 
he may think—a few of them do think—that it is doing him good. 
It may do them good. I do not know. But we can do just as much 
good by drilling them under proper supervision. But when it comes 
to making them run errands, and that sort of thing, I think it is bad. 
That is a tiling that is new as far as I am concerned. 

Mr. Gregg. My own judgment has been all along that that is the 
most reprehensible feature of the whole thing. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not understand it. I do not 
understand this making men get under the table to eat part of their 
meals there. I do not understand it. The only way they could pos¬ 
sibly do such a thing would be on the theory that somebody else has 
done it, and away down at the bottom of it the whole sum and sub¬ 
stance of it is that this is a democratic institution, and one boy who 
comes in is just as good as another boy. One may be from New York, 
and know a whole lot, not only of books, but of dances and society and 
that sort of thing. Another man may be from Iowa, and may have 
foUow'ed the plow, and he may not know so much about that. But 
when he comes here one is as good as the other. 

Mr. Gregg. In theory? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. In theory. They are dressed 
alike, and look alike, and they are supposed to act alike. Some of 
them may be a little uppish, and the rest will take them down. 
That, to my mind, is the only theory of hazing—to make them all 
e<^ual. Unfortunately, they pick out the wrong ones. If, instead of 
picking out the sensitive boy, they picked out a bully, and injured 
his appearance rather than his feelings, that would be theoretically 
the thing; but they do not do it. It is all bad. It Avill result 
sooner or later, if every little thing is winked at, in this breaking out. 
If we say we do not object to their making one man do the 16th, by the 
time it gets through 880 of them they will say that we approve of hazing. 
It filters through, and each one interprets it. So there should not be 
any approval of hazing, in any way, shape, or form, for that reason. 
One of us goes to look at them, but 880 of them are watching us. 
That is merely my idea, gentlemen. 

The Chairman. Your opinions, I think, are entirely sound, and I 
am glad to find you hold them. There is one warning: Do not value 
too little the cooperation of the boys, if you can get it. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. If you think there is anything 
like that, I want to apologize to you right here, because thei^ is no 
such intention in my mind as that. I was merely telling you my 
standpoint as a disciplinary officer—merely giving my ideas—and I 
do not want to combat yours in any way, shape, or form, because if 


208 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


anyone does work and does it willingly he does it twice as well as 
somebody who is forced. Please do not misunderstand me. I am 
merely telling you what my opinions are, and I am not endeavoring 
to overweigh yours. Do not think that. Do not think that I am 
combating your ideas at all, because I tliink it is a very good thing, a 
very excellent scheme, if they would all stop it. If, as you say, the 
class volunteers to stop it willingly, then you know and I know that 
it is stopped. Whereas, in this other way, by our having these cadet 
officers and petty officers do their duty, we still know it is stopped, 
almost, but if it happens the person who does it will be detected, 
reported and dismissed. That is the difference. In the one case if 
it does happen the man will be dismissed. In the other way, if they 
say they will not do it—and one thing that is unknown here is an 
untruth, and it has always been so—it will not be done. That is the 
difference between the two. The only thing, as I say, is that we 
would have stopped it anyway. I am not bragging, but it is merely 
my opinion. 

Mr. Dawson. But without the moral opposition to hazing it would 
have required constant and eternal vigilance. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Constant and eternal vigilance, 
of course. Even so, if one class stopped it that is true. If another 
class stopped it, that settles it for that year. If another class does not 
there you have stopped—if one class does it, and the next does not. 
You say There is a crowd of hazers^' and you give them fits; whereas 
they may be honest about it. 

Mr. Dawson. They nfight tlunk, as a matter of justice, they ought 
to receive it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. One man will say ^‘I do not 
think I want to do it, but I am not going to promise it, because at 
some time I might want to doit;’’ and he will not do it. There is 
enough of the disturbing element in a large crowd of young men like 
this to favor a thing of that kind. 

The Chairman. Are not these formal declarations by the classes, 
which are matters of record and notoriety, of assistance in helping to 
change the traditions of the academy? These boys fall into it 
because they say it has always been here more or less. 
f.A Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes. 

f ^The Chairman. If you get along through four classes without 
hazing, certainly no new class that comes in has a right to start it. 
They could not depend on the traditions of the place? 
n Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No. 

The Chairman. You know at the end of the West Point investiga¬ 
tion five years ago, when hazing was indulged in in a much more 
severe form than it has been here, because it ran longer, aU of the 
classes voluntarily took that action, not as an agreement but simply 
because they had seen the result of the s^^stem and they said they were 
satisfied it was a bad system. That was five years ago. No hazing has 
been known at West Point since that time. The officers have been 
helped thereby, at least, in keeping it out. Now five years have 
elapsed, and an ordinary amount of vigilance on the part of the 
official there ought to prevent it starting in again. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not believe it has. 

The Chairman. I do not think it prevails there as a general thing. 
You can not stamp out sporadic cases of it. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


209 


Lieutenant-Commpider Mc\ay. As I remember that, the violent 
form of hazing was introduced by somebody from the Bowery that 
thought up these various stunts that they did and carried it along. 

The Chairman. It was a growth. They got it from one source or 
another. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. This hazing here—I believe there 
were four cases of brutal hazing which we discovered—was, all the 
rest of it, simply a violation of regulations and the breaking of law. 

The Chairman. The rest of it did not amount to physical injury to 
the student? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. No. 

The Chairman. But it was a most humiliating and degrading 
practice ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Very. 

The Chairman. The sending of a man under the table to eat his 
dinner, a man who, in a few years, will be an officer in the Navy, was 
certainly an outrageous proceeding. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes. 

The Chairman. The compelling of a boy who comes here to go to 
the room of an upper class man, gather up his linen, and send it away, 
and when it comes back put it in the lockers, is something that no 
American boy ought to be made to submit to, although it may not 
hurt him physically. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. To my mind that is the worst 
possible form of hazing. 

Mr. Gregg. I would like to ask a question right there. A great 
many of these boys who come here are high-strung young men. How ^ 
do you account for them submitting to all these things? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think that is an American trait, 
to conform to a custom. They come out here in town, halt of them— 
well, not half of them, but a large majority of them do—and prepare 
to come in here. Among those who are preparing they have friends 
here and they tell them what they have had to do. Some of them are 
turned back in the classes and they tell them what they have had to 
do. Consequently when somebody comes and tells them to do this 
thing, why, everybody has had to do this; why should I object? It is 
no harder for me than for the fellow who has gone before. That is the 
spirit. 

Mr. Padgett. I will get even with the fellow next year. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That is it. That is the way it 
comes about. Where there is absolutely no hazing those people will 
come along and do some things with absolutely no rhyme or reason. 
They have been told not to do it, and there is no reason for it. They 
do it because they will have the other people do it. 

Mr. Gregg. Is" there not a feeling that if they do not submit they 
will be reported for probably a lot of other little matters that they 
would not be reported for otherwise, and that their career here will be 
made much harder? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. There is such a feeling; but in 
this work before the board where we have so many midshipmen up as 
witnesses we told them in all cases where they thought their report 
came from the reason you have given to go right to the divisional 
officer and say so. We have these young men under our charge and 
H. Doc. GOO, 59-1-11 


210 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


only those who are under our charge come on the conduct reports on 
which we assign demerits. I have probably forty or fifty fourth 
class men in the fourth division. Out of that number if one continues 
to come on the conduct sheet ever}^ morning, naturally I am going to 
see it. 

The Chairman. But if the 3mung man has actually done the thing 
for which he is reported you could not consider the motive which 
prompted the making of the report? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, no; particularly now, when 
everybody is reported for everything he does; that is, unless he 
comes and tells me. 

The Chairman. Suppose a young man would come to you and sim¬ 
ply say, ^^This man reports me ever}^ time I do not exactly cross a t 
or dot an i, because of some feeling he has got.” However, that does 
not alter the situation if he has failed to cross the t or dot the i. He 
would still have the demerits? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; he would not. If he came to 
me with that statement I would promptly investigate that right there 
and then and find out if such was the case. If such was the case, then 
I would promptly report that young man to the commandant. 

The Chairman. But the fourth class man would still get the 
demerits just the same? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; I would scratch that off. 

The Chairman. Even if he had committed the offense? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would not care if he had done it. 
If he had been picked upon, and put on a report—no, he would not; 
/ no, sir; and the other man would probably have to go. That is just 
the thing that we have to be particular about; that is, when they 
stop hazing we have to be careful that they do not take up the report. 
But the conduct report has shown no indication of that. There 
probably are cases. Cases m§. 3 ^ crop up, but I think that can be 
stopped without any trouble at all. 

Mr. Dawson. Along this line of coercion, you probably remember 
that several of the fourth class men before the board of investigation 
testified, or gave it as their opinion, that if they refused to accept this 
hazing they would have to fight. What do you know about that? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, we went into that. We 
asked about that and it developed the fact that one of their rates here 
was that fourth class men had no right to fight. They might have 
said that he had to fight, but the fourth class man, as a fourth class 
man, had no right to fight for that. He had to take it; that is all. 
But we did have a case of a young man from the West, who is in my 
division, by the way. After asking him the usual questions, I said this 
young man is from the West, and perhaps he does not approve of all 
these lovely Eastern customs; but somebody may have wanted to 
make him fight. Somebody asked him, ^ ^ Have you ever had a fight or 
been challenged to fight, or come near having a fight?” He said he 
had. We found out that one of the things they did not allow them to 
do was to go up the center of the walk, on the stairways. They made 
him walk on the side, and he was in a hurry, and in order to get to his 
room he went around a very slow-moving body of fourth class men. 
When he got to the front there was an upper class man at the head of 
these fourth class men, and he asked him what he meant by doing that. 
He said to the upper class man: ‘‘I did not know jo\i were here, but 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


211 


if I had known you were here it would not have made any difference 
to me. I would have gone just the same.’’ So he was challenged to 
fight. Nothing ever came of it. That came out and I promptly sent 
for the cadet lieutenant-commander of the second battalion and I gave 
him a memorandum to go to the three cadet lieutenants in my division 
and tell them that this thing must stop at once, which they "did. He 
has not been on the report. That particular instance you asked 
about—that young man, I think, has only been on the report once or 
twice in a month or two, and the young man who threatened him has 
resigned. 

Air. Dawson. Is that the only information of fighting or class fight¬ 
ing that the board of investigation developed? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No. We called up the man who 
stood No. 1 in the class, the cadet lieutenant-commander, Mr. 
Chantry. He gives a complete resume of their practices, rates, and 
all that sort of thing. 

Mr. Dawson. Did you find there had been any class fist fighting 
during the present academic year? 

Lieutenant-Comander McVay. No, sir; we did not find that at all. 
I think we heard of one case where a fourth class man fought with 
another fourth class man, but we did not go into that. It was 
foreign to the investigation. 

Mr. Dawson. That was a personal encounter, was it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; that was a personal 
encounter—but the other we did not go into. We discovered enough 
of it with relation to hazing. As a matter of fact, I do not believe they 
rate fighting. In other words, the fourth class man had no rights, so 
he could not be made to fight. 

Mr. Padgett. But if he did not fight was he not ostracized? If he 
was challenged to fight and declined to fight was he not ostracized and 
put in social Coventry? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I do not think that is the system 
they had. I am not very familiar with the so-called code they have 
here, but as I understand it there was no such thing as challenging a 
fourth class man to fight, except as more or less of a joke; that is, 
they did not really mean it. They would not have allowed him to 
fight if he accepted it. He did not have the right to fight. 

Mr. Gregg. He was not of enough importance to engage in a fight? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; they may have said, ‘‘You 
have got to fight. If you do not do this you will have to fight.” 

Mr. Dawson. It was a bluff? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes; it was a bluff. He did not 
have a right to fight. 

Mr. Padgett. The way I understood it was that the fourth class 
man had the right to fight, but did not have the right to challenge an 
upper class man; that the upper class man would select the one to 
fight the fourth class man, and that the fourth class man had to fight 
the one the upper class man selected. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They can do a great many things 
that we could not know of. They could go on liberty and go over 
and fight on the Government farm if they wanted to. 

The Chairman. And even haze? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. They could go there and haze. 


212 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


In my time fourth class men were not allowed to go on Government 
farms for fear of being hazed. 

The Chairman. You say they could pull off a fight without your 
knowledge. Could they not pull off a few cases of hazing without 
your knowledge? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, yes; but the only thing is 
that if they did it there now the cadet officers and petty officers 
would be apt to be around there, and they would be reported for it. 

The Chairman. Do you think fighting would be covered by your 
new regulations as well as other violations? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. Anything is possible, 
of course. I do.not say that we are going to have absolutely perfect 
discipline, you know. Cases are bound to break out—hazing, fight¬ 
ing, or anything. For instance, I would certainly see any young 
man in my division at least once in three days—probably twice in 
three days. If I saw anything the matter with him I would inquire 
into it. I would go in and see them and say good morning to them 
and look around the rooms and that sort of thing. I would certainly 
notice it if anything was the matter with him. If he went to the hos¬ 
pital and I noticed that he was not there I would send for his room¬ 
mate and find out what was the matter with him. Of course, with 
880 boys, as I say, it is human nature. 

The Chairman. Is there any insult that could be offered to you 
by some other officer attached to this institution that you would 
resent to the extent of personal chastisement? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. A great many. I do not think 
they would be apt to do it, though. 

The Chairman. Well, a man besides being a naval officer- 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Is also a man. He is bound to 
be a man. 

The Chairman. Then you would think you were justified, under 
provocation which you deemed sufficient, to at once resent physically 
a certain insult that might be offered to you? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. As a man, yes. 

The Chairman. Even if at the time you had on the uniform of an 
officer? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, under certain circumstances 
I might change my uniform to do it. 

The Chairman. Do you think you would wait to change it? 

Lieutenant-Commander* McVay. I might and I might not; it 
depends on what it was. I have known of cases, or have heard of 
them, where people have changed their uniforms. But we have the 
same feelings as other men. We are not entirely machines. 

The Chairman. Under that form of provocation would your con¬ 
duct receive the commendation of your brother officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Personally. 

The Chairman. Would they do the same thing under the same 
provocation ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I certainly think they would; I 
am sure they would. 

The Chairman. These boys can not be expected to have the self- 
restraint that men have. They have not had the years of discipline; 
they have not got the age. You would expect them to be more hasty 
and hot-blooded. Among 800 boys, then, it is not strange if it is quite 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 213 

a common occurrence that these personal encounters owing to per¬ 
sonal differences and insults take place ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Except that they are withheld 
by fear of punishment. 

The Chairman. What about your naval officer? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. He would be naturally an older 
man and he would, as I say, be a machine; but he would have a 
man’s feelings. 

The Chairman. You would not expect the boys to be restrained 
to the extent that officers of the Navy of more age and experience 
would be? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not at all; but he would be 
frightened as to the result. That is one of the things that I never 
understood in the fighting here. We had an unfortunate affair lately 
in which a young man called another one a name. Instead of getting 
up and knocking him down, a day or two elapsed until a regular chal¬ 
lenge could go out and the answer be received. That is a thing that 
I can not understand in young men. I should have thought that 
this young fellow would have gotten up and hit him. 

The Chairman. That shows that the code which prevails in rela¬ 
tion to that is understood along different lines than to immediately 
resent it on the spot; but it amounted to the same thing. I suppose 
a great many personal fights do take place among the boys here as 
the years go by? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. None that I have known of. I 
have only heard of this one case in the court. You mean when I was 
here ? , 

The Chairman. No; right along, all the while, from year to year. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I don’t know. I "have never 
heard of it, except the one case before the court-martial, and this 
case I have told you of, of the fourth class man. Those are the only 
ones I have heard of. 

The Chairman. Would you think as many as forty fights had 
taken place in the last three years, or three years and a half? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would not care to say anything 
about it, because I do not know of but the two. 

The Chairman. Would it surprise you to know’ that that number 
had taken place? What had been your opinion about that? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, I would not care to give an 
opinion on that, because I don’t know anything about it. 

The Chairman. That is quite an essential matter of discipline here, 
which you must have given some attention to and some thought. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You must have considered whether it was preva¬ 
lent to a great extent or to a lesser extent, or a very small extent, have 
you not ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, I never paid much atten¬ 
tion to that particular phase except to ask on this board of inves¬ 
tigation in regard to fighting, and there it seemed to me there was 
very little of it—merely this one case. 

The Chairman. Then your own opinion was that very little pre¬ 
vailed in the academy? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then I assume that you would be surprised to 


214 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


know that there were forty in the last three years. Would that be a 
large or a small amount? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would think that was a large 
number from what I have learned here of the interior discipline of the 
academy. I know very little about it in the last three years, except 
in the last few months. 

The Chairman. These personal encounters between the boys, 
unless a severe injury results, as in the Branch-Meriwether fight, are 
considered rather lightly by the officers; that is, they are considered 
as something that is sure to occur to a greater or lesser extent and are 
not to be ferreted out. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, no; not at all. 

The Chairman. That is not the opinion? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; it is not now. 

The Chairman. Do your regulations for interior management men¬ 
tion fighting? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; I think the}^ do; I am 
not sure of it. 

The Chairman. Show me where it is. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I am not sure of that, but I 
know it would not be winked at. There is one thing under class 4— 
unprovoked assault. Unprovoked assault is one of the things under 
class 4, using insulting or profane language to another person or 
intimidating them. 

The Chairman. I should imagine, if it says unprovoked assault, 
that that would be rather in extenuation of one that was severely 
provoked. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. It looks tliat way. 

Mr. Padgett. It might excuse one fellow, but it would put the 
other one in a position where he would be liable to punishment. 

The Chairman. The one who committed the assault and was 
unprovoked would be punished under that. One who resisted 
unfair punishment, I should think, was to be let off lightly. That 
is what I would do if I was in charge and had the power. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That is the only thing I see, 
except that it would come under disorderly conduct, which is not 
considered very serious under this unprovoked assault. I should 
think it would be one of these special cases. 

The Chairman. Then fighting is not named in your regulations 
by letter. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not by actual words; no. 

The Chairman. As an offense? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not that I see here. 

The Chairman. It would be considered then, would it, under the 
regulations, a ^ecial case to be considered upon its merits, as it arose? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes; I should think like any 
other serious offense. All these offenses that are down here are 
graded—that is, in this book. There is a new book being published 
now, that we are just getting out. 

The Chairman. Then in a special case where no set number of 
demerits is provided, it is to be considered special, to be taken up 
according to the circumstances of the case. Then, as a matter of 
fact, if you found a boy under severe and sufficient provocation— 
. gross insult—had resented it by striking the boy who affronted him. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


215 


what would be your views as to his punishment, as a disciplinary 
officer ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. My personal views would be that 
he would do right. That is my personal view. 

The Chairman. You would not feel inclined to punish him for it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not severely. If he were in¬ 
sulted and struck the person who insulted him, I would feel like I 
imagine any man would feel on the subject—that that was his right. 

The Chairman. You would feel that the boy who insulted him 
and who provoked the assault was entitled to receive punishment 
of greater or less severity, according to the circumstances? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; this other boy, of 
course, would be punished, but I would not punish him as severely 
as I would the one who had insulted him. 

The Chairman. For that reason, then, cases of personal difference 
resulting in fighting, are not given as close attention here, are they, 
as other serious offenses ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, yes, sir. 

The Chairman. If you see a boy the next time you have a class 
up in drill or formation with a black eye, what then? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would find out where he got it. 

The Chairman. Well, he says he hit it against a ring, or a corner 
of a post down in the gymnasium; that would be sufficient. Would 
it not ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. If he said that, I would know he 
had not been fighting. 

The Chairman. You feel that you can absolutely rely on tne word 
of the boys, do you ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Absolutely. 

The Chairman. Do you ever consult the records in the hospital 
to find out about fighting? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; I have nothing to do 
with that. 

The Chairman. Would not that be a very rich source of informa¬ 
tion along that line ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. If there had been fighting and 
anybody was seriously injured, you would learn of it there, I imagine. 
But that is not within my province. 

The ChaiIiman. Are not all the officers attached to the institution 
a part of the disciplinary force ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. All of them; yes, sir. The 
regulations require that all officers are on duty at Annapolis. I mean 
an officer here is on duty at all times. 

The Chairman. The opinions you have expressed about fighting 
under provocation, and personal differences which occur every¬ 
where among all bodies of boys and men, would not apply, I suppose, 
to class fighting? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir. 

The Chairman. What are your views about class fighting? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think that is bad. It is against 
good order and discipline. 

The Chairman. Do they cover the system in which the result is 
pretty well determined in advance ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That is my opinion. 


216 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. And where an experienced fighter, a skilled 
fighter, is put against a green classman, with a pretty sure result 
that the under classman will be whinped ? 

Lieutenant-Commander MoVay. Or course I will be very glad to 
answer that, but I will say that I know of no such cases. 

The Chairman. Yes. All class fighting grows out of the hazing 
system and rating system ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; that is my idea. 

The Chairman. And it would therefore be looked after carefully, 
with a view to stamping it out as a part of the hazing system. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes', sir. 

The Chairman. The committee has been somewhat surprised, in 
getting the testimony of the surgeons here, to find that apparently, 
unless the injuries resulting from fighting are severe, and that no 
advantage is taken of the evidence that comes there. It appears 
that boys in considerable number go there for fighting. They have 
gone there during the past year, and so far as we are able to discover 
the disciplinary force proper of the academy do not avail them¬ 
selves of that source of information unless a severe injury has resulted, 
as in the Branch-Meriwether fight. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We do not get that information— 
I mean as discipline officers. 

The Chairman. It is here to be had. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not by us. 

The Chairman. Are not the surgeons under the direction of the 
superintendent ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes. 

The Chairman. The superintendent is the head of the discipli¬ 
nary branch as well as all other branches here ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The head of the department of 
discipline is the commandant. That is a separate department. 

The Chairman. Is not the superintendent his superior? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, yes. The superintendent 
is the head of that, the same as anything else. 

The Chairman. But the superintendent is the head of it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The orders of the superintendent given to the 
surgeons would be the same as those given to any others ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The same as to us*. What I 
meant was, if a young man, for instance, comes up here each morn¬ 
ing we get what is called a sick list. 

The Chairman. Who gets it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. The officer in charge. He gets 
a list of those midshipmen who are in the sick quarters or on the 
excused list. 

The Chairman. The officer on duty at Bancroft Hall gets the 
report every morning ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Every morning. 

The Chairman. Does he get a copy of it or merely the names? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We do not get a copy, but only 
the names of the people on the sick list, so that we can account for 
them at drills, formations, and recitations. If the name does not 
appear on that, we look it up and send for them. 

The Chairman. Is the name, in case of injury, given to you? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


217 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Not to us. 

The Chairman. l\ould not that be a great source of information 
to you in detecting, for instance, class fighting? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. It would, I imagine. 

The Chairman. I say. then, the committee have been somewhat 
surprised that no advantage seems to have been taken of that source 
of information. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, this is a custom of the 
service, even on shipboard, when a man is put on the sick list. As a 
general tiling, by consulting the sick list, you would merely know 
that he was on there. Whereas the leport of his injury, or whatever 
it was, would come to the captain, the same, as I suppose it goes 
each morning to the superintendent. I do not know anything about 
that part of it. I only know, as I say, that we get the names of those 
who are on the sick list or excused list. 

The Chairman. If you should find, three months rrom now, 
that class fighting prevailed, or should find one case of class fight¬ 
ing, would not that be a very important indication that hazing in 
some form existed? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; I should say so. Some 
form of coersion. They would call it what they pleased, but it 
would be. 

The Chairman. It would be the result of hazing, as defined in 
these courts-martial, and in vour investigation? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, can the disciplinary force here, in keeping 
track of whether any form of hazing is developing, afford to he 
without knowledge from day to day and from week to week, of 
whether cases of fighting have been treated in the surgeon’s depart¬ 
ment? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Except as I say, where we 
would see the members of our division. Naturally, if we saw any 
injury to them we would inquire what was the matter with them. 
You see, we inspect their rooms, and in going around, naturally, if 
we see anyone battered up we would ask how he got that way. 
He would either tell you how he got it or decline to answer. There 
would be no quibbling about it. If he had fallen down the steps 
and mashed his face he would say “I fell down the steps and hurt 
my face.^’ If he had been fighting, he would not give some other 
reason. He would say prefer not to answet.” Then you would 
promptly investigate it and find out what it was. He would not 
lie, nor would he quibble. 

The Chairman. If he had a pair of black eyes and came to the 
surgeon’s office and had them painted over, so that you would not 
notice it a little way off, you would be deprived of the information ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes. 

The Chairman. So it still remains the fact that the surgeon’s 
office is where a pretty clear indication of whether there is class 
fighting or not could be obtained? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I should think they would dis¬ 
cover it there. 

The Chairman. At present, as far as we can learn, that source 
of information is neglected. We do not find in the surgeon’s testi¬ 
mony any understanding on his part that he is to report anything 


218 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


to anybody, more than the name and the company, that they are sick. 
That, perhaps, if it is a contagious disease that would be reported, 
but that there is no duty on his part to inquire into the injury with 
a view to ascertaining whether there are class fights or any other 
kind of fights, and reporting it to some superior officer, so that it 
may be available for the disciplinary force? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. So far as I know, it has never 
been called for. 

The Chairman. In fact, a surgeon testified before us that he did 
not consider it a part—Surgeon Stone testified that he did not con¬ 
sider it a part of his duties to make inquiry about that sort of a 
matter in order to report it. That his understanding was that the 
only inquiries he need make about a patient were such as would be 
ordinarily made by any doctor, to give him information, about 
treating the patient. We called the attention of Surgeon Stone to 
rule 64, I think it was- 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. There is a regulation that says 
every officer attached to the academy is on duty at all times. Of 
course, he would have to figure out his way of doing his duty, accord¬ 
ing to himself. 

The Chairman. These are the regulations of the Naval Academy: 

It shall be the duty of all officers, naval and civil, at the academy, who have knowledge 
of any violation of a regulation, or of any neglect, or improper conduct of which a midship¬ 
man has been guilty, to report the fact to the commandant of midshipmen. 

Surgeon Stone never happened to know there was such a regulation 
or that he was considered a part of the disciplinary force, and his tes¬ 
timony was that he did not consider it his duty to make any inquiries 
except such as were necessary for his information as a surgeon 
nor to report it to anyone else. So that the committee has thought 
that perhaps fighting was looked on with considerable leniency by 
the officials in charge. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; I would not say that at all. 
In fact, it is just the reverse. 

The Chairman. Do you not think that in the preservation of 
future discipline, the inlormation in the surgeon’s office ought to be 
made available constantly to the disciplinary officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, no. I think if they fur¬ 
nish it to the superintendent or the commandant—not to us, because 
that would be- 

The Chairman. I assume that they are part of your disciplmary 
force. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That must be furnished to them 
now; perhaps not the reason, but if a midshipman goes to the hospital 
a complete record of the case is required to be entered in a book, 
and when the sick list goes—wherever it goes, to the commandant 
or superintendent—it shows there what is the matter with him, 
whether he has fever, diarrhea, or whether it is a contusion, or 
whatever it is. 

The Chairman. We have examined the record as kept by the 
surgeon. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I should think that would show. 
Of course, that is not a department of mine. For instance, here is a 
department here in the yard, and we have nothing to do with that. 
But we do have something to do with the part of the pay department 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


219 


th^t is connected with the midshipmen. But as to the surgeon’s 
department, that is a separate yard department which makes a 
report of its sick to- 

The Chairman. I hardly follow you in the statement that you 
have nothing to do with the surgeon’s department. Under the 
regulations which govern this academy every ofhcer attached to 
it, civil or naval, is made a part of the disciplinary force. Your 
disciplinary force, therefore, has a right to the information on hand 
in the surgeon’s office. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. If we asked for it, oh, yes. If 
we want it and ask for it. Just as to the matter you referred to. 
If a young man in my division had a black eye and I went and asked 
him, ^^How did you get that,” and he would say, prefer not to 
answer,” then I could promptly telephone to the hospital and ask 
if he had been treated there and why he was treated. Then they 
would give me that information; but unless I happened to get it in 
that way, I would not have any reason to go up and look at the med¬ 
ical journal. As a matter of fact, I suppose they would be very 
much incensed if I looked at it. 

The Chairman. You telephone to the hospital and you find the 
record there is that the boy was treated for a severe contusion of 
the right eye. What further information have you received now? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I would not get much more than 
that, if that is what they had, except that I should ask what doctor 
treated him and then telephone to him and ask what caused that. 
They have testified here—I think a young man testified in the trial 
of Mr. Meriwether, that he had refereed nineteen fights. 

The Chairman. Yes. A young man named Fitch, who graduated, 
I think, last year, aiid Mr. Humphrey, testified that they sat down 
and counted up and they could recall forty fights in the last three 
or tlrree and a half years. It is quite probable that a few of them 
would slip their memory during that time and they would not think 
of all of them. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Of course, I do not know any¬ 
thing about this, except from what he has testified. He was in 
my division. Mffien he got his demerits for this engagement in a 
fight it took me a long while- 

The Chairman. Who was in your division? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Fitch. He was in my division. 
I assigned the punishment for his offense. That is, I indicated it. 
In those serious cases they are referred to the commandant to assign 
demerits and punishment and all that. I remember him. I called 
him in and told him that he was in this fight and that I should 
recommend that he get one hundred demerits. He said he did not 
see why he should have that. I told him it was a thing that could 
not be tolerated here and that I did not believe in it. He said 
fights had been going on, and all that sort of thing, as any young 
man would talk. He was a young man that I was very fond of. I 
sent him away and told him all right. Of course, that was all right 
from his point of view, but I could not see that. My idea was that 
he should have one hundred demerits. Then I had made up my 
mind before that, that I should recommend that he be disrated. 
He was a cadet, junior lieutenant—that is, reduced to the ranks. 
I forgot to tell him that. I sent for him and told him that I had 




220 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


forgotten to tell him that I should also recommend that he be reduced 
to the ranks for this thing, which he also thought was a serious 
punishment in addition to the other, but that is what he got. He 
got one hundred demerits and was reduced to the ranks for that. 

The Chairman. When did he graduate ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Within a few days. 

The Chairman. He was in this present class ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes. He was perfectly honest, 
and a young man who will make a very good officer, and I was very 
much interested in him. I thought he was a very good man and was 
ve^ attentive to his duty. 

The Chairman. Wdiat was the date of this action on your parti 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That was shortly after the 
Branch-Meriwether fight. 

The Chairman. It was after that? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What particular part did Fitch take ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. He was the referee. 

The Chairman. In that fight? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; that is when it came 
out that he had refereed nineteen fights. He told me. 

The Chairman. He was a petty officer at that time, or a cadet 
officer ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. He was a cadet officer. 

The Chairman. Did Bean also receive the same number? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think he received one hundred 
demerits. Anyone who was in any way connected with that was 
reduced to the ranks. There were three or four cadet lieutenants 
and three or four cadet petty officers—I do not remember the num¬ 
ber. They were all reduced to the ranks, and I think all of them 
were given one hundred demerits for it. There was a third class 
man—I do not remember whether there was one or two. I don’t 
know whether they got fifty or one hundred demerits. Those were 
assigned by the commandant. 

The Chairman. Was that the first case of fighting that came to 
your knowledge, or the knowledge of the other officers during this 
school year? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The first you had known of? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; we had only been here 
a very short time. 

The Chairman. Fitch received one hundred demerits on that occa¬ 
sion ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How much did Bean get? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. One hundred, I think. 

The Chairman. You made a recommendation on that? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; that was a correct answer. 
Mr. Fitch was the only one in my division connected with it. There 
were three or four from different divisions that had gone over. 

The Chairman. How many participants were there in the fight 
besides the principals? Were there four present? 

Ijieutenant-Commander McVay. I think they had four. 

The Chairman. And one or two outside guards? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


221 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; they had—I am not very 
familiar with the practice. I think they had two on each side, and 
then a referee and timekeeper. That is my idea of it. Then, in 
addition to that, these midshipmen were absent from their forma¬ 
tions. Then, for instance, I think there were two captains of com¬ 
panies, or three, who winked at this thing, and all of those were re¬ 
duced to the ranks, and given, I think, one hundred demerits. Then 
there was another pet^^ officer on duty where he heard what took 
place on that floor. Of course he could hear the noise. He was 
reduced to the ranks and given one hundred demerits. And there 
is always a midshipman on duty in each corridor. So the thing could 
not take place if they would attend to their duty. 

Mr. Padgett. How many rooms are there in Bancroft Hall avail¬ 
able for the use of the boys? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I could not say offhand. 

Mr. Dawson. Some one testified about five hundred. 

Ideutenant-Commander McVay. I know one of the rooms in my 
division is 790. There are five floors with rooms on them. I should 
imagine- 

Mr. Padgett. Did I understand you to say there were 220 rooms 
under your supervision? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; 220 midshipmen. That 
would be 110 rooms. I would not like to say the actual number 
offhand. There are five stories. 

Mr. Padgett. I thought maybe you might know the aggregate 
number of rooms in the building? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I think it is over five hundred, 
though. I am sure it is. 

The Chairman. The testimony of Mr. Humphrey was that he and 
Mr. Fitch counted up forty fights while Mr. Fitch had been here that 
they could remember and that they personally knew about. They 
thought, or admitted, that there must have been some they did not 
know about and some they did not remember. So that for the past 
four years you could safely say there were fifty, at least. If they 
could remember forty, you would fairly assume there were fifty? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I guess they know pretty much 
all there were—Mr. Fitch particularly. 

The Chairman. Well, he seems to have taken a great interest in 
that line, and yet there might have been personal encounters where 
they did not have a referee or that he did not know about. That 
would be an average of about twelve a year. The large majority of 
those were personal encounters and were not class fights. His testi¬ 
mony was, in response to a question as to how many of them went to 
the hospital, that almost invariably one or both of them went to 
the hospital, sometimes merely to have an eye painted over, a stitch 
or two taken in the lip, or something of that kind. He further says, 
in answer to a question as to what reason they would assign for their 
injury, at the hospital, ‘H do not think they would assign any reason. 
I think it was taKen tor granted that the reason was self-evident.’’ 

Now, he says along here further, in answer to a question as to 
whether they would be protected or not at the surgeon’s department, 
think everybody that went there was fairly sure that there would 
be nothing further developed.” That is, that it would not be reported. 
[Heading:] ' ‘ The Chairman. The doctors must stand pretty high in the 



222 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


estimation of the boys? Mr. Gregg. It shows they have great confi¬ 
dence in the doctors, at least.’’ And Mr. Humphrey says, ''They 
have confidence in the doctors.” 

So I assume from that that the surgeon—and the testimony of one 
of them practically agrees with this, that he considers it no part of 
his duty as a surgeon to pay any particular attention to the injuries 
received which would indicate fighting—makes no inquiries unless 
such information would be thought necessary him as a physician 
in treating the case. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I have never had occasion, 
except on this one occasion, to refer any subject to the doctors. 
That was the case of Mr. Kimbrough. I called up the senior surgeon, 
and told him I wanted somebody^ to come down and take this mid¬ 
shipman away, who was unconscious, and see what was the matter 
with him. He asked me, "What is the matter with him?” I said, 
"He is unconscious and rolling around here.” He said, "What did 
it?” I said, "Hazing did it.” That is the only case I had any con¬ 
nection with, and the senior surgeon. Surgeon Byrnes, asked me 
outright what was the matter with him. 

The Chaikman. There is a very full record in that case. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. Then I did have 
another case. The surgeon came to me and told me there was a 
young man in the hospital that he thought had been hazed. That 
was a young man named Dresel. He had been kicked in the side 
playing football, and had injured a kidney. The doctor told me 
when I was going through the yard, as officer in charge, that he 
thought the boy had been hazed. I told him I was quite sure he 
had not been, because there was not any hazing. That was my idea 
then, because I had just come here. "However,” I said, "I will see 
him without his knowing it, and let you know; and you let me know 
if he comes up there again.” I looked it up, and I was right. It was 
not from hazing; it was from this kick. Those are the only two cases 
I know of—^where the doctor asked me once what the cause was, and 
I said hazing, and the other where the doctor, Doctor McCormick, 
thought the boy was hazed, and it turned out he was mistaken; it was 
not from that. Then they spoke about this young man Cooper, who 
went to the hospital paralyzed about the same time with Kimbrough. 
We went into that very carefully in the investigation, but that was 
not from hazing, as far as we could learn. 

The Chairman. I think you said you were able to discover only 
four cases where the hazing was severe enough to result in personal 
injury. What were the other three besides the Kimbroiioli case? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Why, there was Kimbrough and 
Mr. Bloebaum, who was dismissed. He made a young man lay on a 
box- 

The Chairman. He was one of the hazers. I remember the case. 

Lieutenant-Commander ^IcVay. That hurt his neck, and he was 
exhausted. There were two other cases, I believe—hazed to ex¬ 
haustion. 

The Chairman. Do you remember the name of the boy who was 
required to lay on the box? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No, sir; we had about three hun¬ 
dred names there. It would be absolutely impossible. 

The Chairman. Do you remember any one of the three besides 
Kimbrough ? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


223 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No. Mr. Stone can tell you, I 
know. He has that. There were 300 names and 120 witnesses— 
420. There were so many different things that we could not remem¬ 
ber it. There was no permanent injury about this. They were 
merely exhausted, I think—hazed to exhaustion. 

The Chairman. It did not result in anything permanent, but it 
was severe enough to exhaust them at the tinu'. ' 

Lieutenant-Commander HcVay. It was severe enough to exhaust 
them at the time; yes, sir. One was from hanging on the locker, I 
think. 

The Chairman. I imagine there must have been more than four 
where the}^ were exhausted at the time. I judge so from reading the 
evidence. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We asked in a great majority of 
the cases whether they were exhausted, and I don’t think there were 
over six or eight. 

The Chairman. We found quite a considerable number of cases— 
much more than four—where they had been required to do it two 
hundred, three hundred and fifty, and in one case, I think, four 
hundred times. Now, I want to ask you as to the matter of proving 
these things—what the practice has been in these cases. I want to 
inquire as to the view you take as to proving these offenses. We will 
assume that Mr. Bloebaum went into the room ot a fourth class man 
and compelled him to do the sixteenth one hundred times, there being 
no one present but the fourth class man and himself. He would then 
proceed to the room of some other fourth class man and require him 
to go through certain exercises, then he would go to the room ot a 
third fourth class man and require him to do it, but in each case he 
would be alone with the fourth class man. Could that evidence be 
produced before a court-martial under the rules that prevail here to 
convict Bloebaum ot the offense of hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they require more than one witness to the 
specific act? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; one is sufficient, I think. 
That is, if it is undenied. If he got up and said he did not do it at 
this time and place the court would have to decide that. 

The Chairman. Very well. I do not suppose he is obliged to tes¬ 
tify or to incriminate himself—or does that rule prevail ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, no. 

The Chairman. Very well. Then Mr. Bloebaum is charged with 
hazing Mr. Winters, and he was alone in the room with him. Mr. 
Bloebaum refuses to testify. Then would the evidence of Mr. Win¬ 
ters be considered sufficient? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. I should think so. 

The Chairman. But if Bloebaum denied it, what then? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Then the court would have to 
decide as to the value of the testimony, the same as any other court 
of law. 

The Chairman. But they would have a right to believe the fourth 
class man and disbelieve Mr. Bloebaum? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, yes; just the same as a civil 
court. 

Mr. Gregg. In that connection, suppose he had gone to several 


224 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


other rooms and had hazed fourth class men with no one present but 
he and the fourth class man. Under the practice of a court-martial 
would the evidence be admissible as to those other cases to corrobo¬ 
rate the one on trial? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. No. The trouble with this is 
that it is like all courts. There is no trouble about proving the offense 
of hazing if you can detect it. Once you detect it you can prove it. 
But this big, long voluminous record has to specify that at such and 
such a time, at such and such a place, so and so did such and such a 
thing to such and such person. That person can only testify regai'd- 
ing that one particular thing. There has to be a specification of that 
particular offense. He can testify to that, but he can not testify to 
the other. 

Mr. Gregg. I know- 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. The trouble is just like our sum¬ 
mer cruise on a ship. 

Mr. Gregg. Under the practice, if he would haze four fourth class 
men, w'ould they all be included in the specification on which he is 
tried ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. There wmuld be four separate 
specifications under one charge. It wmuld read: '^Charge and specifi¬ 
cations of a charge preferred by Rear-Admiral James H. Sands, United 
States Navy, Superintendent IJnited States Naval Academy, Annapo¬ 
lis, Maryland, against midshipman So-and-so, such and such a class.” 

The Chairman. There would be four counts in one indictment? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. Yes. 

The Chairman. On the trial on the first count the first cadet, Win¬ 
ters, comes in and testifies that Bloebaum hazed him. 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And that is all the evidence there is. Mr. Bloe¬ 
baum, w^e will say, denies it. The next cadet, Mr. Caldwell, testifies 
on the second count that Mr. Bloebaum hazed him, and Mr. Bloebaum 
denies it. The third one. Drew’', testifies that Mr. Bloebaum hazed 
him. Now, while each count is separate, w'ould not a court-martial be 
justified thoroughly in considering the value of the testimon}^, in tak¬ 
ing the collective evidence of all of them, as show'ing the probability 
that Bloebaum did commit each separate act ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. You know in a court-martial they 
start at the first specification After all the testimony was taken they 
W'ould start out with the first specification and the junior man writes 
dowm “Proved” or “Not proved.” 

The Chairman. Before taking up the next one ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. The}" do not see each other’s vote. 
That is passed up to the president of the court, w’^ho sorts them out and 
j ays “Three ^Not proved’ and two 'Proved.’ The first specification 
is not proved.” He then puts that aside. Then they vote on the 
second specification in the same w-ay. 

The Chairman. Do you mean that after taking up the first count 
they vote upon it before taking up the second count ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They do not w-ait until they get through ? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But they take all the evidence first? 

Lieutenant-Commander McYay. Yes, sir. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


225 


The Chairman. That is what I was trying to ask you about, 
whether they vote as to the guilt or innocence of the accused on one 
count before proceeding to the second. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Oh, no. 

The Chairman. Then the fact that four boys have testified he 
hazed them would certainly have an important bearing with the court 
in determining whether Bloebaum was lying or whether one of the 
boys was lying on the first count. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. That is, to use slang, ^^up to’’ the 
individual members of the court. They must form their opinions 
from the evidence. Then the law requires that anybody who is 
brought before a naval court must be served with specifications for 
every offense up to that time. 

The Chairman. That is no different from any court. They have 
to be charged specifically with each offense and each count. I was 
trying to determine whether, although three or four boys were testi¬ 
fying on each of several counts that he had hazed them, he could 
escape because there was only one witness to offset his denial. You 
say it is in the province of the court to give such value to the testi¬ 
mony of each as they choose to. Therefore, in any court, this cor¬ 
roborative evidence, although it does not bear on the same point, 
could properly influence the judgment of the court. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. We had a case of a young man 
who had two or three specifications. He denied every one of them 
and was acquitted. 

The Chairman. What boy was that? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Mr. Decatur. He went on the 
stand and denied each and everything and was acquitted. There are 
a great many cases that can never be brought to trial, because you cau 
not prove dates, times, or places. 

The Chairman. It is not necessary to prove the exact date, is it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Well, an approximate date. 
Times, places, and dates, and witnesses—sometimes they are not 
sure. 

The Chairman. I would say they could not convict a man if they 
do not know who he hazed, but whether it was committed on the 10th 
or 20th of September I should not think very material. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. No; the specification says in such 
a case “On or about the 20th of September.’^ 

The Chairman. I was inquiring along this line because it seemed 
to me if there was any rule of evidence that prevailed in courts-mar¬ 
tial that if an upper class man was accused or hazing by a lower class 
man and denied it, and there being only the two present, the court 
would not convict, then all the protection they would have to have in 
hazing would be to have only one man present. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Except, in that case, as I say, if 
he did deny it certainly somebody else must know about it—either 
that he did the thing or that he did not do it. 

The Chairman. Somebody else need not know about it if there 
were only two present. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. But some one else would learn 
about it. He might not be a witness, but he would know. 

The Chairman. What good would it be if it was merely hearsay 
evidence? 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-15 


226 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant-Commander McVay. What I mean is, if he went there 
and said he did not do this thing, but he had done it, he would not be 
permitted to stay here—if he was l 3 dng. That is the chief crime, the 
chief high crime. 

The Chairman. I see. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. So he would have to go. So that 
it is hardly possible that he would den}^ it if he did it, unless he might 
deny dates and things like that. 

The Chairman. If he refused to testify at all on the ground that he 
would incriminate himself, there would be the undisputed evidence of 
the one boy that he did it? 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. Yes, sir; the undisputed evidence, 
the same as in any ordinaiy case. 

The Chairman. That is all I have in inind now. If there is anything 
else that arises about which we want to ask you we will recall you. 
We are very much obliged to you for the very full and complete man¬ 
ner in which you have responded to all our inquiries. 

Lieutenant-Commander McVay. If there is anything I can do, I 
will be only too glad to serve you. 

The subcommittee (at 4.45 o’clock p. m.) adjourned until to-mor- 
Tow, Thursday, Februar}^ 22, 1906, at 10 o’clock a. m. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., Thursday, February 22, 1906. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 o’clock a. m., Hon. E. B. Vreeland 
in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF JOSEPH RALPH WILLIAMS. 

Joseph Ralph Williams, having been first duly sworn, testified 
as follows: 

The Chairman. State your full name to the reporter, please. 

Mr. Williams. Joseph Ralph Williams. 

The Chairman. Where were you appointed from? 

Mr. Williams. New Jersey, sir; Sixth, New Jersey. It is now the 
Ninth. 

The Chairman. You want to make a statement to the committee, 
do you? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I would like to. I was dismissed for con¬ 
duct and studies, and according to the regulations in this book here 
for the government of the Naval Academy—not this one; I don’t 
think you have the one I mean. Yes, here it is- 

The Chairman. You need not stop to look it up. 

Mr. Williams. According to the rules in this book it says the 
academic board shall meet and decide on all midshipmen who shall be 
dropped. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Williams. It is customary to allow a midshipman to go on 
until the semiannual examination before he is dropped. In my case, 
I was dropped on one month’s work only. I got 144 demerits. 

The Chairman. When did you receive notice that you were 
dropped? 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 227 

Mr. Williams. On the 29th of November. I had not been given 
any warning prior to that. I received 144 demerits in one month, 
and I got it all from one officer. All the demerits that were given by 
commissioned officers were given by one man, except in one instance. 
This man was Lieutenant-Commander Decker. None of my offenses 
were grave. The highest number I ever received for one onense was 
15 demerits. The others were all minor offenses. 

The Chairman. Are not the number of demerits for any given 
violation laid down in the regulations? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did he give you more than were laid down? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; in some instances he gave me demerits I 
should not have had. A midshipman is allowed to make a statement 
in writing for every report made against him- 

The Chairman. Name some of the alleged violations for which you 
should not have received any demerits. 

Mr. Williams. In one case I was ordered to report to this Meri- 
wether-Branch court-martial to testify in behalf of Mr. Meriwether 
and I was ordered to report there immediately. I had this order at 
three minutes of 10. At 10 o’clock the officer in charge comes in and 
inspects the rooms, to see that we are in uniform and to see the rooms 
are in order. He came in and found me in my underclothes, and I had 
my dress uniform on the table. He asked why I was not ready to 
receive the officer in charge, and I told him I was ordered to go to the 
court immediately and was getting into my dress uniform. I was 
reported for that. 

The Chairman. How many demerits did you receive for that? 

Mr. Williams. I don’t know. They are down in the record. 

In another instance I was reported for wearing my roommate’s 
clothes without permission. I had my roommate’s permission to 
wear them. I wore his overcoat one day to recitation, because my 
reefer was at the tailor’s, and somebody had taken my overcoat. 

The Chairman. How many demerits did you get for that? 

Mr. Williams. Four or five, I think. 

In another instance I was reported for disrespect to an officer, 
because I was posted for being deficient at the end of one week in 
steam engineering. Everybody in the section thought I should have 
been satisfactory, and I knew I had done very good work. I put in a 
statement. This is about what it was: ‘‘1 respectfully request per¬ 
mission to speak to the head of the department of marine engineering 
and naval construction regarding my mark for the week ending”—- 
whatever it was. I said my reason for making this request was that 
I would have taken my oath that my mark should have been over 
three for that subject. Then Mr. Decker put me on the report for 
d srespect to that officer who had had me during the week. 

In another instance I was reported for being in the corridor out of 
uniform one Sunday morning before 8 o’clock. We have reveille at 
6 o’clock and the study call at 8 o’clock. According to the regula¬ 
tions you can be in the corridor in proper uniform from 6 to 8 a. m. 
You do not have to be in the regular uniform for the day. I was 
going to the toilet in my pajamas. I was singing in the corridor, 
which I have a perfect right to do before study hours. This Mr. 
Decker was in the corridor, but in a separate portion of the corridor, 
so he couldn’t see me. The master at arms saw me go in the room. 


228 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


and he asked the master at arms which room 1 was in. He came and 
saw me in the room and put me on the report for not being in proper 
uniform and for creating a disturbance in the corridors. I was in 
proper uniform. I was in my pajamas. You are allowed to go from 
your room to the toilet in your pajamas before breakfast formation 
in the morning. 

Mr. Gkegg. What time is breakfast formation? 

Mr. Williams. 6.35. Reveille is at 6. 

Mr. Gregg. I thought you said this was just before 8 o’clock. 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. I say you can be in the corridor in proper 
uniform from reveil e until 8 o’clock. After 8 o’clock ^mu have to be 
in the uniform of the day; but up to that time it says you can be in 
the corridor in proper uniform. 

Mr. Gregg. You said you could go to the closet in your pajamas? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Before 6.35. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I was reported before 6.35. This was 
before breakfast formation that this occurred. 

Mr. Gregg. Before 6.35 in the morning? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How were you in your studies? 

Mr. Williams. The first month I was very low in steam. 

The Chairman. How were you in your last preceding examination, 
for the preceding year? 

Mr. Williams. I was satisfactory last year. I have been satis¬ 
factory all along. The superintendent told me in view of the fact that 
I had these low markings—I had a talk with him and told him I 
believed I was being discriminated against- 

The Chairman. Low markings for what, conductor examinations? 

Mr. Williams. Examinations for the academic month of Novem¬ 
ber. I told him that I was discriminated against. I told him of an 
instance where Lieutenant Snyder had discriminated against me, and 
Lieutenant Wells, in steam. He said see you have the ability, and 
if you get down to hard work there is no reason why you should not 
pull through and graduate with your class.” That was after he knew 
of these low marks. That is the only interview I have ever had with 
the superintendent. • 

The Chairman. You were set back one year? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What was that for? 

Mr. Williams. Deficiency in steam and in mechanics. There were 
seven of us. 

The Chairman. You had no fault to find with your markings in 
your examination? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. The only thing I have is that I did not get 
the markings I deserved in my daily marks. Lieutenant Snyder said 
to me in the section room: ‘‘Mr. Williams, I could report ^mu for dis¬ 
respect if I wanted to, but I am not going to do it. I am going to 
mark you accordingly at the end of the month.” I was unsatisfac¬ 
tory in navigation, and I stated this fact to the superintendent and 
he told me he would call Mr. Snyder over and ask him about it. He 
called Mr. Snyder over, and he denied having said it. Then I offered 
to get the whole section as evidence. The superintendent said no, he 
wmuld have to take Snyder’s word. In another instance, about this 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


229 


Lieutenant Wells, a certain midshipman came to me and said that 
after I had taken my examination one month—I left the room early— 
Mr. Wells came up and looked at my paper and said, ^‘1 will fix him 
all right.This midshipman repeated it to me when I went back to 
the room, after examination, without any questioning on my part. I 
simply went in the room and he said, “Wells is going to fix you all 
right.’' 

The Chairman. Who is Wells? 

Mr. Williams. He was my instructor in steam—Lieutenant Wells. 
I told this to the superintendent, and he asked me if I could get proof 
of that. I said I was not willing to unless I first spoke to the midship¬ 
man who spoke of it to me, because I knew if he testified to that he 
would probably be discriminated against. I went to him. His name 
is Spofford. He graduated with the class of 1906, on the 12th of Feb¬ 
ruary. He didn’t wish me to make any statement regarding it, but I 
could have got the whole section as evidence of the fact that Snyder 
said he would mark me for disrespect. He had a perfect right to 
mark me for conduct. I told the superintendent I did not believe my 
conduct was disrespectful, but if it had been the superintendent said 
I should have apologized to him. I said I would have been perfectly 
willing to, if I had thought about it at the time. 

The Chairman. What was the alleged disrespect? 

Mr. Williams. He did not say. He said my general attitude in the 
section room. If I had the conduct book in which my record is kept 
I could show you a great many more instances where I got demerits 
that I can not recall now. Another thing, the man who reports you 
is the man to whom you have to send your statements, so he virtually 
passes on the verdict that he has before pronounced. 

The Chairman. You say virtually. What do you mean by virtu¬ 
ally passes ? 

Mr. Williams. I do not mean virtually. I mean he absolutely 
does. These statements are sent in to him, and if he thinks the state¬ 
ments warrant taking off the demerits it is done. 

The Chairman. You mean your statement is sent to him? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your explanation? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Does not your explanation and his report go up to 
his superior officer? 

Mr. Williams. They should go to the commandant. They did 
until the new regime, with the coming of Admiral Sands last year. 
Everything went to the commandant. As a matter of fact when we 
send in our statements they are directed to the commandant, but 
they go to the divisional officer. 

The Chairman. Where do they go now? 

Mr. Williams. To the divisional officer. 

The Chairman. Where do they go from him? 

Mr. Williams. They do not go any place. The conduct sheet itself 
goes to the commandant, with the demerits assigned, but he never sees 
the statements. 

The Chairman. What makes you think that? 

Mr. Williams. Well, because the divisional officer passes on them. 

The Chairman. Have you not a right to address a letter concerning 
it to the commandant? 


230 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; all of my statements were directed to the 
commandant. 

The Chairman. Then you have an easy way of placing your side of 
it before the commandant, have you not ? 

Mr. Williams. But they do not go to the commandant. They go 
to the divisional officer, and he assigns the demerits. 

The Chairman. Could you not write the commandant about it? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; they have to go to the divisional officer. 

The Chairman. I have a letter in my pocket about that, I think, 
addressed to the commandant. 

Mr. Williams. And in order to see the superintendent you have to 
go to the commandant first and state your case. 

The Chairman. You say this rule has prevailed since Admiral 
Sands came? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, here is the case of Mr. Bean. 

Mr. Dawson. To what cause do you attribute this discrimination? 

Mr. Williams. I can not attribute it to anything except that I was 
probably careless in some instances. I don’t know wh}^ Mr. Decker 
should have had it in for me, but he did. I lived between two rooms, 
and he did not inspect the rooms on either side of me every morning, 
and he did inspect my room. 

Mr. Dawson. You think you incurred his special displeasure in 
some way? 

Mr. Williams. I think I did. 

Mr. Dawson. But you do not know how? 

Mr. Williams. I do not kilow how; no, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. You say you got 144 demerits in one month. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What month was that? 

Mr. Williams. Well, the academy opened this year, I think, on the 
12th of October. We were about two weeks late. 

The Chairman. Here is the case of Mr. Bean. There is a report 
here from a professor for misconduct in class. It seems to be made 
out on a regular form provided by the academy, and a statement is 
made of what he did. It is addressed to the commandant of midship¬ 
men; that is, from the professor? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Here is a letter from Mr. Bean addressed to the 
commandant of midshipmen, taking up each matter and giving an 
answer to it as to his side of it, or how it looked to him. Who is 
H. W. orH. A. W.? 

Mr. Williams. That is H. A. Wiley. He is the divisional officer to 
whom that went. He is the officer in charge of the division in which 
Mr. Bean is. Each officer has charge of three companies. There are 
twelve companies in the brigade. In cases of a serious nature, where 
you insist on it, the commandant does see them, and they go to the 
superintendent. 

The Chairman. I will tell you the proceedings that took place in 
this case. The statement of Mr. Bean, showing his side of it, and his 
excuse for it, was sent to Mr. Wiley. It seems to have been a matter 
as to which the number of demerits was prescribed in the regulations. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And they were put down. Mr. Wiley adds in his 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


231 


own handwriting to this letter, ‘‘Respectfully referred to the com¬ 
mandant of midshipmen. While technically guilty of having non¬ 
regulation clothes, it would seem that 50 demerits is a severe penalty 
for this specific offense.’’ That is forwarded on to the commandant 
of midshipmen. He reduced it to 25 demerits on this young man’s 
statement. Now, you want to tell us that if you write your divisional 
officer, for example. Lieutenant Wiley, giving your statement of it,, 
that he would suppress the letter instead of sending it on to the 
commandant? 

Mr. Williams. Oh, no, sir; but I mean to say that there are so, 
many midshipmen here that he has not an opportunity to look over 
these, or for some other reason he does not get them except in special 
instances where the report is of a grave nature. 

The Chairman. There are not a great number of a grave nature,^ 
are there? Are not the majority for minor breaches, where no ques¬ 
tion is raised by the midshipmen? I suppose in a majority or the 
cases the midshipmen do not want to send in a statement, do they,, 
for these minor infractions, when they know they are guilty? 

Mr Williams. If they know they are guilty it is not necessary to 
put in a statement, because it will not do any good. If they are 
guilty of a violation of the regulation and it is prescribed in the book 
it is no use putting in a statement. 

The Chairman. And it ought not to do any good? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. There are only a few cases, then, where the mid¬ 
shipmen desire to send in a statement? 

Mr. Williams. I do not know as you could say few cases, because 
as a rule the midshipmen send in statements for almost every report 
against them. For instance, if they are late for breakfast formation. 
You could put in a statement and say why you were late. 

The Chairman. Are you not supposing about something that you 
do not know about of your own knowledge? Y^ou say there are so 
many of these things that the superintendent does not have time to 
look them over. How do you know about that? 

Mr. Williams. I could not say as to that positively; no, sir. 

The Chairman. Then why are you testifying to it? 

Ylr. Williams. But I do mean to say that most of my statements 
that went in there did not go to the commandant, except I remember 
one instance where I was reported for making a misleading statement. 
That was taken to the commandant, and I said my statement was not 
misleading. I put in a statement to my divisional officer to that 
effect, and told him why my statement was not misleading. I can 
not say positively now whether that statement was accepted or not, 
but I know I was called into the commandant’s office. He said, 
“There is a report against you of a very grave nature,” and he told me 
the nature of it. I said I was not aware that I had made any mis- 
" leading statement, and I positively denied having made a misleading 
statement; and it was not a misleading statement. It was regarding 
a reefer that I had in the tailor shop. 

The Chairman. Do you know of your own knowledge that every 
communication which you addressed to the disciplinary officer was 
not forwarded to the superintendent of cadets? 

The Witness. No, sir. They are not supposed to be forwarded to 
the superintendent but to the commandant. 


232 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. I mean the commandant of cadets. 

Mr. Williams. I know- 

The Chairman. Answer the question. Do not tell me such long 
stories. I want to get at the meat of your statement. Do you know 
of your own knowledge that all of your statements sent to the officer 
in command were not forwarded to the commandant of cadets? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not know that of your own knowledge? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Mr. Chairman, you say ‘‘all.’’ Do you not mean 
“any?” 

The Chairman. I ask him if he does not know that all were not 
forwarded. 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You have no knowledge of your own? 

Mr. Williams. No positive knowledge. 

The Chairman. Showing that every one of your communications 
was not forwarded to the commandant of cadets? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I have no means of knowing that. The 
reason I make that statement is that in some instances I have been 
called to the commandant’s office to explain certain things. That 
would seem to indicate that the communication that went to the 
commandant was referred back to me. i 

The Chairman. I do not think it indicates any such thing. I 
think it indicates in the one case that the commandant thinks there 
might be something in it to investigate, and in the others he did not. 
Very well, then; the regular course, is it not, in the academy is to for¬ 
ward your explanation to the divisional officer? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And he sends it forward with or without comment, 
as he may elect, to the commandant of cadets? 

Mr. Williams. I can not say as to that. My belief is it is not so, 
but I can not say positively. 

The Chairman. You do not know? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you present, Mr. Williams, at the time when 
it is alleged Lieutenant Snyder made some remark to an upper class 
man named Brainard and to some of the other class men to the effect 
that the fourth class lacked discipline and should be- 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I was on leave at that time, but I was pres¬ 
ent in the section room one day when he said he did not know what 
was the matter with the place, that he thought it had gone to the 
devil since he had been here, and the only thing he could attribute it 
to was that the upper class men did not get after the plebes enough. 

The Chairman. Where was that ? 

Mr. Williams. In the section room of navigation. 

The Chairman. When he was a disciplinary officer? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; he was an instructor in the department of 
navigation. 

The Chairman. To whom did he make that remark? 

Mr. Williams. He made it to the section. 

The Chairman. What is the section? 

Mr. Williams. That is all the midshipmen. 

The Chairman. He made that remark to the midshipmen in the 
room? 




HAZING. AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


233 


Mr. Williams. In the room; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What date was that? 

Mr. Williams. I do not remember the date. 

Mr. Gregg. As near as you can give it. 

Mr. Williams. Iwas in his sections from the 12th of October until 
about the 12th of November. 

The Chairman. What other men were present who are here now? 

Mr. Williams. They have all graduated but Mr. Woodworth. 

The Chairman. Was Mr. Garcelon there? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Hayes? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Roberts? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. The sections are made up alphabetically. 
These men were at the last end of the alphabet, the Ws. 

The Chairman. Do you know any of them that are here now ? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; none of them are here now. 

The Chairman. The classes make a wide distinction between haz¬ 
ing and running; but what I term fagging—that is the performance 
of menial service for the upper class men- 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. During the last year there was little or no physical 
hazing, the last year preceding this? 

Mr. Williams. There was none whatever. I was in the class of 
1905 when Admiral Brownson had asked- 

The Chairman. Answer the question. During the last year pre¬ 
ceding this one there was no physical hazing to your knowledge ? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose running and fagging prevailed. 

Mr. Williams. There was no fagging that I know of. There was 
running. A plebe was not allowed to put his back to the chair. 

The Chairman. You do not know of any fagging? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you not know of meals being brought up to 
upper class men from the mess hall during the year preceding this one ? 

fc. Williams. Yes, sir; I do. 

The Chairman. Do you not know of windows being opened? 

Mr. Williams. I know of the meals, as you mention it now. 

The Chairman. Do you not know of the lower class men having 
duties to perform around the rooms of the upper class men during the 
preceding year. 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Winding the clock, looking after their linen? Did 
you ever see anything of that kind? 

Mr. Williams. Not until this year. Yes, I will take that back. 
I do know of an instance where a fourth class man has had to wind the 
clock. 

The Chairman. Or perform little tasks around the rooms, perhaps 
voluntarily. The boys did not call that fagging? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; we never had the term fagging down here. 

The Chairman. What was that called? Is there any name for it? 

Mr. Williams. I do not know that there is. If it had been in my 
time I think it would be called running, but we never had the term 
fagging down here to my knowledge. 




234 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. What are some of the different kinds of running? 

Mr. AVilliams. AVell, making the fourth class man report the dessert 
at the table, and tell stories, or report the current topics of the day. 

The Chairman. Sending them under the table? AVhat do you call 
that ? 

Mr. AVilliams. I should call that hazing, myself. 

The Chairman. It is not physical. 

Mr. AVilliams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. AATiy would it not be running? 

Mr. AATlliams. That would be a matter of opinion. I should 
regard it, if any upper class men put me under the table, as I was put 
under when I was a plebe, as hazing. 

Mr. Dawson. Was there any of that last year? 

Air. AVilliams. No, sir; not to my knowledge. 

Air. Dawson. You say you were put under the table when you were 
a plebe ? 

Air. Williams. Yes, sir.. 

The Chairman. AA'hat year was that ? 

Air. AVilliams. 1901 and 1902. I entered in Alay, 1901. 

The Chairman. Has that practice always prevailed since your time 
here, since 1901? 

Air. AVilliams. Yes, sir; and a long time before that. 

The Chairman. AVhat is sitting on the edge of the chair at dinner? 
Is that running or hazing? 

Air. AA^illiams. I should call that running; it is a custom more than 
anything else. 

The Chairman. I suppose that has always prevailed since you 
came here? 

Air. Williams. Yer, sir. 

The Chairman. AATiat are some of the other forms of running? 

Air. AA^illiams. Singing songs. I remember, in my plebe cruise, I 
would have to go to an upper class man’s hammock and sing from 
taps until half an hour afterwards—play a guitar and sing songs. 

The Chairman. Did you write bazoos? 

Air. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That has always prevailed since you came here? 
It has been h steady custom ? 

Air. AATlliams. ATes, sir. 

The Chairman. AVhat are some of the other forms of running? 

Air. AATlliams. The first time I got on the Indiana, on my plebe 
cruise, an under class man, a plebe, was not allowed to look an upper 
class man in the eye at all. 

The Chairman. Is not that a rate? 

Air. AATlliams. Yes, sir. You were not allowed to know the names 
of the upper class men, and they would send you around to find Air. 
So-and-so, and if you went to somebody and asked him about it you 
would get cussed out. Then he would send you to some other group, 
and they would do the same thing. Another thing was that on cold 
days, when we had on our sweaters, they would make us pull the necks 
of the sweaters up and hold them like that [indicating]. 

The Chairman. Has that been a steady custom here, that has 
alwaj^s prevailed among the classes? 

Air. AVilliams. Yes, sir; but that was not pronounced after the 
time Admiral Brownson had our class give their word of honor. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


235 


The Chairman. The interpretation that the class put upon it was 
that that referred to physical hazing? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That, you think, was strictly observed? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I think it was. I do not know of an 
instance where it was not, personally. 

Mr. Dawson. What w^as the method of enforcing these practices on 
the lower class men? 

Mr. Williams. Well, I must explain that. I do not believe they 
had any method. The under class men knew that everybody who 
had been here before had been subjected to the same treatment and 
that next year they were going to have an opportunity to do the same 
thing themselves, and they simply did it of their own will. That is 
the way I looked at it, and I think everyone did. 

Mr. Dawson. In case a boy refused to do it, would he have to fight ? 

Mr. Williams. He would in 1901 or 1902; or the fourth class man 
could go to the president of the first class and say that he refused to 
take running or hazing in any form, and also promise that when he 
had become an upper class man he would do no hazing or running. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know what is commonly known as class fist 
fighting ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Daw^son. Do you know of any class fist fights during the two 
academic years prior to the present one? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I know of a fist fight that I refereed on 
the cruise this summer. That was before this academic year. 

The Chairman. What was the provocation in that fight? 

Mr. Williams. That was a personal matter. They were two mid¬ 
shipmen in the same class. 

The Chairman. It was not a class fight, then? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. I do not recall any class fights during that 
time, although there may have been some and doubtless were; but 
I have not an}^ personal knowdedge of that. 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to get from you, Mr. Williams, a specific 
statement of the demerits that you received, that you thought you 
ought not to have received. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I can not recall them now, but if I had 
the book I could go over it and show you 25 demerits, according to 
the book, that I should not have received demerits for—offenses. 

Mr. Padgett. You think 25 would cover those that you ought not 
to have received? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I do not think 25 would. I think the time 
I was reported for making a misleading statement that my statement 
should have been accepted, and that I should not have received 15 
demerits for it. I did not make any misleading statement. 

Mr. Padgett. How many did you receive that you ought not to 
have received ? 

Mr. Williams. I could not say specifically. I could say if I could 
see the book. 

Mr. Padgett. You indicated awhile ago 25, and now you think 
perhaps it was more than that. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. The day before I was dismissed, on 
Wednesday, the 28th of November, I went into the clerk’s office of 
the commandant to find out how many demerits I had. I thought 


23(3 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 

I had not to exceed 70 demerits. He told me I had 144 demerits 
for this month. So that will give you the number of demerits that 
I thought I had. I would not believe him until he got the book. I 
got 3 demerits on the cruise, which covered a period of three months, 
and 17 the month before. In my next month I got 144—in all, 171 
demerits. 

Mr. Padgett. I am trying to get at how many during this month 
you think you ought not to have received. That is not a very long 
time, and it has not been very long ago—during this last November 
when you were dismissed. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. During that month you received 144 demerits? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. It was impressed upon your mind because of your 
dismissal. How many during that month can you indicate that 
were improperly given? 

Mr. Williams. I can not indicate any specific number, because I 
can not remember the number of demerits that were assigned for the 
various offenses, and I can not remember all the offenses that I got 
demerits for, which I should not have received. If I could have 
the book and see, I could point out to you each instance. 

Mr. Padgett. Is not every demerit that a midshipman receives 
posted on the bulletin board for his inspection ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And he then has a number of hours afterwards in 
which to send in a report as to that matter? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; the demerits are not posted until after the 
report is sent in. For instance, if midshipmen are posted on the 
conduct report this morning, they have their names read out at 
breakfast formation. Then after breakfast formation the conduct 
report is posted, and it is left on the hoard until to-morrow morning 
for their inspection. Then within twenty-four hours after it is posted 
you put in your statement, if you choose. After that statement 
has gone in the demerits are posted. 

Mr. Padgett. How many did you send in after that had been 
posted for twenty-four hours? How many did you send in—state¬ 
ments protesting against? 

Mr. Williams. I sent in statements protesting against a great 
many. I could not say how many, but a great mam^. 

Mr. Padgett. Can you not give some idea of how many? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I can not. But I sent in a great many 
statements. 

Mr. Padgett. How did you stand in your studies for that month? 

Mr. Williams. Well, I had 2.49 in boilers. 

Mr. Padgett. What did you have in mathematics? 

Mr. Williams. We do not have any real mathematics. We have 
steam and boilers and navigation. In navigation I had about—well, 
I donT know—about 1.40—something like that. 

Mr. Padgett. Then what did you have in the others? 

Mr. Williams. Well, in marine engineering, I can not recall, but 
my mark in ordnance was more than 2.4. I have forgotten what it 
was. I can not say specifically. I can say in boilers, if I had not 
been discriminated against. My first week I got 3.6 in boilers. I 
saw the mark. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 237 

Mr. Padgett. Were you discriminated against in anything except 
boilers ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; in navigation and in the department of 
discipline. 

Mr. Padgett. So that all of the professors were d4scriminating 
against you? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; only in those three branches. 

Mr. “Padgett. I say, there were three of them who were discrimi¬ 
nating against you? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Can you give us any reason why any one of them 
should have discriminated against you? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Can you assign any cause for either one of them 
discriminating against you? 

Mr. Williams. No; unless it was my attitude in the section room. 
I had an independent way. That was one reason why I was unpop¬ 
ular here. I went to the commandant and superintendent and 
talked to them like I would man to man. If you do that here you 
run a great chance of being reported for disrespect. 

Mr. Padgett. But that had nothing to do with your studies— 
the disrespect? 

Mr. Williams. That had something to do.- 

Mr. Padgett. That would have reference to your marking in your 
conduct. 

Mr. Williams. I say, this instance when Mr. Snyder said he would 
mark me accordingly, 1 did not think he had a right to mark me in 
navigation because of what he believed to be disrespect on my part. 

The Chairman. What was the month in which you had so large 
a number? 

Mr. Williams. November. 

Mr. Gregg. It started in October. 

The Chairman. I have the record here. 

Mr. Williams. I think it is all on one page. 

The Chairman. Decker, you say? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; all I got from commissioned officers 
except in one instance when it was Mr. McVay. 

The Chairman. We have here the record of your demerits. No¬ 
vember 3 seems to be ^Yvalking in grounds with lady’’ during study 
hours. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Guilty or not guilty? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is 10 demerits. That was proper? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. November 3, ‘‘late at 10 a. m., section formation.’’ 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. One demerit. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. November 5, “Late at breakfast formation, 1 
demerit.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; that is all right. 

The Chairman. November 7, “Playing musical instrument dur¬ 
ing study hours, 5 demerits.” 



288 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Williams. That is all right. I would like to find out about 
the demerits, whether those are the right number to give; but the 
offenses are all right. 

The Chairman. November 8, ‘Mn corridor out of uniform, 3 
demerits.’’ * 

Mr. Williams. That is all right, sir. 

The Chairman. November 9, ‘^Late at breakfast formation, 1 
demerit.” I suppose you do not remember what caused that? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; but I remember I was late at a good manj 
breakfast formations. 

The Chairman. November 10, Disorderly bookshelves, 3 demer¬ 
its.” 

Mr. Williams. I had disorderly bookshelves all right, but I do 
not know whether that it is the number of demerits to give for it. I 
contest- 

The Chairman. November 10, ‘^Window tightly closed while 
absent from room, 1 demerit.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I presume that is all right. 

The Chairman. November 10, ‘‘Late, breakfast formation, 1 
demerit.” November 11, “Late, breakfast formation, 1 demerit.” 
November 11, “Disorderly conduct in corridor, 5 demerits.” 

Mr. Williams. Which was that? 

The Chairman. November 11, “Disorderly conduct in corridor, 5 
demerits.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I think that is the Sunday that I stated 
I was out in the corridor before breakfast formation; and we have a 
right to be out there during that time, and I put in a statement. 
Does it say right after that “out of uniform,” too? 

The Chairman. On the same day, “In corridor, out of uniform, 3 
demerits.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. Those were two of the ones that I con¬ 
tested. 

The Chairman. November 13, “No clothing list for November, 1 
demerit.” November 14, “Late, 2.25 section formation, 1 demerit.” 

Mr. Williams. That is right, sir. 

The Chairman. November 14, “Out of uniform, 7.50 a. m., section 
formation,”- 

Mr. Williams. Which was that one, sir? 

The Chairman. November 14, “Out of uniform, 7.50 a. m., section 
formation,” as I read it. Is that right? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I have read it right, have I? “Out of uniform.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is 3 demerits. November 14, “Not ready 
to receive inspecting officer”- 

Mr. Williams. November 14? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Williams. That is all right. That is not the day of the court- 
martial. 

The Chairman. November 14, “Room in disorder, 3 demerits.” 
November 14, “Out of uniform, 3 demerits.” November 14, “Sit¬ 
ting in window, 3 demerits.” That was a black day, wasn’t it? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I remember that very well. I was not 





HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


239 


sitting in the window, though. I was sitting in a chair, and I had 
my feet up on the steam radiator in front of the window. 

The Chairman. There seem to have been about 16 on that day? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That was an off day, wasn’t it? 

Mr. Williams. I believe if he had not been discriminating against 
me I would not have had any of those demerits. Almost every day 
he inspected my room, and he did not inspect the rooms on either 
side of it. 

The Chairman. This was not Lieutenant Decker, you know. This 
is the regular cadet officers’ inspection. 

Mr. Williams. That goes under his name, but Decker is the man 
who came in and reported my room. I do not understand that. 

The Chairman. Midshipman Williamson is the one that reported it. 

Mr. Williams. That is the way it goes. Decker was the officer 
in charge and he made the inspection. Midshipman Williamson was 
the midshipman in charge of that floor, and he goes around, and 
Decker orders these reports to be made, and they go in in William¬ 
son’s name. That is how it was. 

The Chairman. Do you mean to tell me that the naval officer in 
charge of the building orders the cadet officers as to what they shall 
report ? 

Mr. Williams. I do; at morning inspection; yes, sir. The officer 
in charge goes around and he makes an inspection, and this midship¬ 
man officer of the day puts in the report. As the officer in charge 
would say, ‘‘Room in disorder,” he would write it down after my 
name, by order of Lieutenant-Commander Decker. 

Mr. Dawson. Do they go around together? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The two together at all of these inspections? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Does the naval officer have time to inspect all of 
the rooms in Bancroft Hall in the morning? 

Mr. Williams. Each divisional officer inspects his rooms once each 
day; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. “Late at 2.35 section formation on the 14th?” 

Mr. Williams. I suppose that is all right. 

The Chairman. Who would take note of that? 

Mr. Williams. In some instances the officer in charge there might 
be present. In most instances the officer of the day, who is a mid¬ 
shipman. 

The Chairman. The cadet officer of the day? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then he reported that? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The next one is “Out of uniform, 7.50 a. m., sec¬ 
tion form-ation.” Who would know that? 

Mr. Williams. The officer of the day, a midshipman in charge of 
the formation. 

The Chairman. The cadet officer of the day? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. He would report that? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is not under the naval officer, is it ? 


240 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. ‘^Not ready to receive inspecting officer.’^ Who 
would report that? 

Mr. Williams. The officer in charge of our division. 

The Chairman. What inspector is meant there ? 

Mr. Williams. Mr. Wiley. 

The Chairman. That is, a naval officer ? 

Mr. Williams. I do not mean Mr. Wiley, but Mr. Decker, my 
inspecting officer. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you controvert that three demerits for ‘^not ready 
to receive inspecting officer?” 

Mr. Williams. I do not controvert the charge; no, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. The next one is, ‘^room in disorder” on that day. Do 
you controvert that? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. It might have been in disorder. 

Mr. Gregg. “Out of formation,” do you controvert that? 

Mr. Williams. Sir? 

Mr. Gregg. “Out of uniform?” 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I might have been out of uniform. 

Mr. Gregg. Now then, “sitting in the window?” 

Mr. Williams. I do controvert that; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. That is controverted. That is what I wanted to get 
at, Mr. Chairman, with reference to that. 

The Chairman. “Not ready to receive inspecting officer.” Who 
makes that report? 

Mr. Williams. The officer in charge. 

The Chairman. The cadet officer? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; the officer in charge himself. He makes 
the inspection, as he always does, each morning. 

The Chairman. Does not the cadet officer go around before the 
naval officer ? 

• Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. He never goes around before, but goes around 
with him? 

Mr. Williams. He goes around with him, sometimes; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Does he always go around with him? 

Mr. Williams. Not always; but the midshipman in charge of the 
floor always goes around with the officer in charge; and the officer 
in charge is always accompanied by the three-striper in charge of 
the company. 

The Chairman. Do not the cadet officers make a good many reports 
of violations of regulations independently? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And the first the naval officer knows of it is when 
he receives the charge? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; but first class men make those inspections, 
and as a rule they do not inspect the rooms of the first class. 

The Chairman. November 15, “Creating disturbance, marching 
to mess hall?” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; that is all right. 

The Chairman. November 16, “Absent”- 

Mr. Williams. How many demerits did I get for creating a dis¬ 
turbance marching to the mess hall ? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


241 


The Chairman. Ten. That can be verified afterwards. Novem¬ 
ber 16, ‘‘Absent, 9 a. m. sectional formation, 5 demerits?’^ 

Mr. Williams. Absent 9 a. m. section formation? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I can not deny the charge but probably 
had some reason for that, and I don’t know whether I put in a state¬ 
ment or not. I don’t remember. I can’t remember each date. 

The Chairman. November 18: “Not accounting in writing for 
absence from formation.” There seem to be two distinct offenses, 
one for being absent, and if you are absent you must report the reason 
for it ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I remember that instance. Mr. Decker 
contended that I did not get it in there within the specified length of 
time; and I did get it in within that time. 

The Chairman. You contest that, do you? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How would you send it to him? 

Mr. Williams. Sir? 

The Chairman. What method would you have of sending the com¬ 
munication to him? 

Mr. Williams. In writing. 

The Chairman. How? 

Mr. Williams. Like that one of Mr. Bean’s. 

The Chairman. How does it go to him? Do you hand it to him, 
or mail it to him, or how? 

Mr. Williams. It is taken to his office and dropped in the slit in 
the door. 

The Chairman. That is the regular method provided for that? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. November 19: “Bookshelves in disorder; 1 
demerit.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. November 20: “Carelessness in performance of 
duty.” 

Mr. Williams. I contest that very much, sir. He did not make 
any statement to me regarding that at all. I was on duty with him 
one Sunday. How many demerits did I get for that, please? 

The Chairman. Five. November 21 : Deliberate violation of reg¬ 
ulations; 15 demerits.” November 21^—Do you remember what the 
violation was that is charged ? 

Mr. Williams. I think that was one day—I think I remember 
what that was. One day I went to sleep immediately after dinner. 
That was an hour before the second recitation period. My roommate 
did not wake me, and I did not get to the recitation in seamanship. 
That is a 15~demerit offense. 

The CHAIRMAN. That is all right, is it? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. November 21: “Late, sectional formation; 1 
demerit.” November 22: “Absent, third period of recitation; 15 
demerits.” 

Mr. Williams. That is the one I mean. I contest that. That is 
the 15-demerit offense. I don’t know what that other is. 

The Chairman. Which one was it when you went to sleep, the 
second one? 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-16 


242 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Williams. That is the second one; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not know what that violation of regula¬ 
tions is that is mentioned on November 21 ? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It must have been something important. It says 
15 demerits. November 22: ^‘Not ready to receive inspecting 
officer.’’ 

Mr. Williams. On the 22d of November? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Williams. Is the next one, “Room not in order?” 

The Chairman. No; the next one is, “Chair out of place,” is it? 
Yes; there are several more of them. “Chair out of place.” Is 
that it? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. “Wardrobe in disorder;” “Top of bookcase in dis¬ 
order.” Those are all on the same day—the 22d. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. “Not ready to receive inspecting officer;’’ “Chair 
out of place;” “Wardrobe in disorder;” “Top of bookcase in disor¬ 
der.” You had 10 demerits on the 22d. 

^Ir. Williams. Yes, sir; but I contend that if he had not had it in 
for me I would not have been reported for all those things. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you dispute any of them? 

Mr. WiLLiAMjS. No, sir; I can not dispute any of these charges, but 
I can say- 

The Chairman. Was your room ready for inspection? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Your wardrobe was in disorder? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; to a slight extent. 

The Chairman. You charge, then, it is a matter of favor with the 
reporting officer as to whether he will report these facts or not ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; if he had not had it in for me—I do not 
know but what my wardrobe was in disorder at the time, but ordi¬ 
narily, although the wardrobe is a little out of place, although we are 
supposed to have each thing on a certain shelf or in a certain place, I 
contest that if he had not had a dislike for me he would not have 
reported me, especially for the chair being out of place. 

The Chairman. Do you charge that if he went to the next room 
and found it in the same condition as yours, and did not have it in, as 
you call it, for the occupant of that room, that he would not have 
reported it? 

Mr. Williams. I do not think he would, unless it was very badly 
in disorder. I say lots of times he came to my room and did not go 
to the other rooms. As a rule, they treat the first class men rather 
lightly. They are not as severe on them as they are on the other 
classes; but he inspected my room, which was the middle room, and 
he did not inspect the rooms on either side. 

The Chairman. Then you charge that two rooms could be in a like 
condition of disorder, and in one case it will be reported and demerits 
entered, and in the other case it will not? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you charge that against any officer except 
Lieutenant Decker? 

Mr. Williams. I do not, sir; but I think it might occur. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


243 


The Chairman. I know; but we want names and statements. 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you charge that any other officer—any divi¬ 
sional officer that does this work—except Lieutnant Decker, would 
report one and not another? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. Regarding this statement, I can not 
state any specific instances now- 

The Chairman. Regarding what statement? 

Mr. Williams. The statement I have made regarding favoritism, 
that he would report one room and not the other. 

The Chairman. Then you do not know of any instance where a 
room has been out of order or any other breach of discipline or viola¬ 
tion has existed, where Lieutenant Decker has failed to report it? 

Mr. Williams. I know he has inspected my room and he has not 
inspected the rooms on either side. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any instance within your knowl¬ 
edge when Lieutenant Decker has failed to report a room that was in 
disorderly condition and where demerits should be charged against 
the occupants? 

Mr. Williams. I can not state it now, but I could when I was at 
the academy. I had' plenty of instances. I can not recall one now 
and state specific times or specific rooms. 

The Chairman. I should think your interest in Mr. Decker would 
be keen enough so that you would recall it. 

Mr. Williams. I did at the time, but I did not think anything 
would occur so that I would be dismissed for demerits. 

The Chairman. No other officer, you state, has discriminated in 
his reports, to your knowledge ? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. November 23, ‘^Late, breakfast formation; 1 
demerit.’’ November 24, Absent, breakfast formation; 1 demerit; ” 
^‘Absent 8.50 a. m., sectional formation; 5 demerits.” November 
25, Disfiguring table.” 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I contest that. I did not disfigure my 
table. Somebody came in while I was out of the room and pasted a 
poster on there advertising some hair tonic. I did not know who put 
it there, and I did not know it was there. He came in and saw it 
there, and he reported me. 

The Chairman. Was it your seat? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I told him I did not put it there.' 

The Chairman. It was your room? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; and on my side of the table. 

The Chairman. Are you or your roommate always in the room 
unless it is locked ? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; the rooms are never locked, and we are 
out of the room more than half of the day. We both go to recitation 
at the same time. 

Mr. Padgett. Did you send any written statement as to your not 
doing that? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. November 27, ''Talking in corridor going to reci¬ 
tation.” That cost you five. 

Mr. Williams. The offense is all right. 

The Chairman. November 27, "Out of uniform.” 



244 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Williams. That is all right. 

The Chairman. November 27, ‘‘Wearing another midshipman's 
overcoat without permission." 

Mr. Williams. That is one that I contest. 

The Chairman. You claim you had permission? 

Mr. Williams. It is a custom here, and my roommate and I had 
an agreement that I could wear anything of his and he could wear 
anything of mine. 

The Chairman. Did you file a written statement of that? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I stated it to Mr. Decker when he asked 
me about it. I don't remember whether I put in a written state¬ 
ment or not. 

The Chairman. Did you file any statement from your roommate 
as to this agreement or permission? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Why did you not prove your case? 

Mr. Williams. It is not necessary. As a rule, they accept the 
midshipman's word. 

The Chairman. It seems to have been necessary in this case. 
There are 10 demerits entered against you. 

Mr. Williams. I contest that I should not have gotten that. 

The Chairman. Why did you not contest it at the time? 

Mr. Williams. I told him that we had a tacit understanding. 

The Chairman. Wliy did you not submit the necessary proof and 
save those 10 demerits? The proof was right at your hand, and there 
was no trouble in stating that the agreement existed. 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. All you would have had to do was to make a writ¬ 
ten statement and inclose your classmate’s statement, also, as to it. 

Mr. Williams. But he told me at the time- 

The Chairman. Who told you at the time? 

Mr. Williams. Mr. Decker. He said he was going to report me, 
and I thought if he would not accept my verbal statement he would 
not accept a written statement. 

The Chairman. He charges that you wore it without your class¬ 
mate’s permission. 

Mr. Williams. Yes. 

The Chairman. You say you had his permission? 

Mr. Williams. Yes. 

The Chairman. It did not make any difference what you said. 
All you had to do was to inclose the statement of your classmate as 
to his agreement with you and that settled it, outside of your word 
or Mr. Decker's. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That you failed to do ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, let us see. There are forty-seven that you 
contest out of the total number. What did ^mu have on hand that 
month, Mr. Williams, that caused so much neglect as is indicated by 
these demerits that you admit are proper? 

Mr. Williams. I did not have anything on hand, sir. That is the 
usual way. 

The Chairman. You did not seem to get them in October in that 
way ? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


245 


Mr. Williams. Nd, sir. He was not discriminating against me. 
He did not have it in for me. 

The Chairman. I am leaving out those which you contest. These 
are the ones that you admitted. 

Mr. Williams. I mean to say that if he had not had a desire to 
^ give me a great many demerits it would not have been reported. The 
offenses were all right, but they would not have been reported. 

The Chairman. That goes back to the charge you make that he 
reports one and another he does not report, although they are pre¬ 
cisely the same offense. ’ 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Yet in all your stay here you are unable to recall 
a single instance of any other room being in disorder and where de¬ 
merits should have been given to the occupant where it was not done. 

Mr. Williams. I can not recall any specific instance; no, sir. 

The Chairman. Is there any further proof that you can bring 
before the committee as to any specific instance where Lieutenant 
Decker, or any other divisional ofhcer, has failed to assign demerits 
where they should have been given? 

Mr. Williams. Well, I know a great many instances where mid¬ 
shipmen have been guilty of breaking regulations and officers have 
known about it and they have not been reported; but I can not recall 
any specific instances, any more than in those cases of fighting, where 
the midshipmen went to the doctor and the doctor did not report it. 

The Chairman. Yes. Well, we have pretty full information about 
that. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know of anything else where breaches of 
discipline or of regulations were committed by midshipmen with the 
knowledge of the officers and they were not reported or demerited? 

Mr. Williams. I think that is rather a hard question to answer off- 
hand. 

The Chairman. You have been around here two or three weeks 
thinking this over. I supposed that you had all of these matters 
arranged in your mind. 

Mr. Williams. Well, I have the cases relating to my own treat¬ 
ment in my mind- 

The Chairman. The basis of your case is discrimination against 
you? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Now, in order to support that it would be neces¬ 
sary to have some proof that other midshipmen had committed like 
offenses and that no demerits had been given and no notice taken. 
That is the basis of discrimination. It is rather understood among 
the midshipmen that the surgeons will not report injuries caused by 
fighting. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they feel safe in going over there and having 
their eyes painted, if they have been blacked in a fight? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Feeling that it will not be reported? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The doctors seem to take the view here that that 



246 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


is professional work that they are doing for their patients, and that 
they are not to report breaches of discipline ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is that the view that seems to be taken? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. If I understand you, Mr. Williams, in all these cases 
of demerits where you admit the offenses, you say that you commit¬ 
ted the act? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. But you were in the expectation that the officer 
would not report them? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. I expected that Mr. Decker would report 
them, but I know that if I had been in any other divisional officer's 
division a great many of those things would have been overlooked. 

Mr. Padgett. Then I understand you to say that Mr. Decker is 
discharging his duty more faithfully than the other officers ? 

Mr. Williams. I do not know as I would put it that way. I know 
of an instance where Midshipman Lilley was walking through the 
yard and the wife of Paymaster Cowie called him over to speak to 
her for a moment. Mr. Decker was walking with her. The only 
gentlemanly thing that Mr. Lilley could do was to comply with the 
lady’s request, and speak to her. Yet Mr. Decker put him on the 
report for talking to a lady in the yard during study hours. He was 
fully aware of the nature of the case, and he had a right to use his 
own discretion as to whether he should report^ the man or not. I 
know, further, that he is so unpopular here, and that the midship¬ 
men regard him as so unjust, that he was given silence in the mess 
hall. Every midshipman in the brigade made no sound whatever 
during meals, to show their dissatisfaction for the way he was treat¬ 
ing the midshipmen at the academy. 

Mr. Padgett. But I understand, in your particular case, leaving 
out these which you contest, that as to all the others you admit the 
offenses ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I admit the offenses. 

Mr. Padgett. And your complaint is that he reported them? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; that he reported them, and that he did 
not report them in the case of other midshipmen. 

Mr. Padgett. Can you give any other instances, from all your expe¬ 
rience here at the academy, where he has failed to report a midship¬ 
man? You were complaining a while ago that he did report Mr. 
Lilley when you did not think he ought to. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Can you give a case where he did not report a mid¬ 
shipman ? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; but I can give instances where he should 
have inspected other rooms. When he inspected my room he should 
have inspected the rooms on either side, and he did not do it. 

Mr. Padgett. When was that ? 

Mr. Williams. All through the month of November. He told 
me he was going to inspect my room, and I said I thought he ought 
to inspect the other rooms. He said that was at his discretion. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know that he did not inspect the others? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. How do you know that? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


247 


Mr. Williams. I know because the midshipmen occupying the 
rooms told me he did not. 

Mr Padgett. You do not know it of your own knowledge? You 
know it from hearsay? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I was not present in the rooms; no, sir; 
but I have seen him come downstairs and come into my room, and I 
have seen him go off and not go in either of the other rooms. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant Decker was on every fourth day? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; but he inspected the rooms of his own 
division every day. 

The Chairman. You were in his division? 

Mr. AYilliams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did any other divisional officer ever inspect your 
room? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. 

The Chairman. That was entirely done by him? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. This record shows that from October 18 to November 
29 you received 179 demerits. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. One hundred and seventy-nine demerits, 47 of which 
you contest on the ground of not having committed the offense. That 
would leave 132 during that period. 

Mr. Williams. But there is one other offense there that has not 
been read out. I think it was prior to November 4, or whatever it 
was when you started in. 

Mr. Dawson. I have not included that. There are 10 prior to that, 
which makes 189 including the 10. 

Mr. Williams. Did you start in with October 12? 

Mr. Dawson. October 18 was the first one. Prior to that and up 
to July 17 you had 10? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; that was for three months. 

Mr. Dawson. That is an unusual number, is it not, for a period of 
about five weeks ? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. I can also, to show that my case was an 
unfair one, cite the case of Midshipman Dallas, of the second class, 
who was unsatisfactory in three subjects one month prior to the 
semiannual examinations, and he was also over the limit in demerits, 
but he was not dropped but was allowed to continue on with his class. 

The Chairman. What is his name? 

Mr. Williams. Midshipman Dallas. 

The Chairman. Is he here now? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; in the second class. 

The Chairman. Was he in your division? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir. There were a great many other midship¬ 
men with the limit of demerits who have not been dropped. As a 
matter of fact, it is the custom not to drop midshipmen because they 
exceed the limit of demerits, but to deprive them of some part of the 
September leave. 

The Chairman. Have you been in Mr. Decker’s division since the 
beginning of the year? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How is it he did not discriminate against you in 
these other months preceding? 


248 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Williams. I have been in his division since the beginning of 
October, but those other three months I was on the summer’s prac¬ 
tice cruise on board ship, and I was not on his ship at any time. 

The Chairman. You think he has treated you with uniform 
fairness ? 

Mr. Williams. With uniform discrimination; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Uniform unfairness? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Is that G. M. Dallas of the second class? 

Mr. Williams. I think so; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I see that for the month of October he has 18 
demerits. 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And for the month of November he has 28 demerits, 
making 46 demerits for the same time that you got 179? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. The next month he had 92, and in that 92 is included, 
on the 18th, ‘‘Clothes smelling of tobacco, 75 demerits.” Seventy- 
five demerits for his clothes smelling of tobacco? 

Mr. Williams. Yes, sir; I know of the case of a midshipman in the 
class of 1905 who was reported for intoxication and introducing 
intoxicating liquors, and he got 125 demerits in one night, but he was 
not dropped. 

Mr. Padgett. Who was that? 

Mr. Williams. That was Midshipman A. B. Cook. He graduated 
in 1905. 

The Chairman. What was the limit in that year; 150? 

Mr. Williams. I do not know what the limit is in the second class 
year. I think it is 150 for the first term. 

Mr. Padgett. Two hundred. 

Mr. Williams. Two hundred for the first year, is it not? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Padgett. That includes from June, 1905. His 183 runs from 
June. 

Mr. Williams. I would like to state that I went up to Washington 
to see the Secretary of the Navy, and he asked me to put in a written 
statement regarding my case. I had a talk with Lieutenant- 
Commander Terhune, who is one of my predecessors in the academy 
from my district, and he advised me to put in a statement saying that 
it was all my fault and that I was willing to acknowledge that I had 
been at fault, and stating that this discrimination against me was an 
error on my part. I put in this statement, and I went to see the 
President after I had seen the Secretary. I saw the President about 
two weeks ago. He asked me to put in a written statement regarding 
my case, which I did, and he said he did not feel he could take up the 
matter. 

Mr. Padgett. So you put in a written statement stating that the 
whole thing was your fault? 

Mr. Williams. No, sir; I put in a written statement in order that 
I might be reinstated, that I had been willing to agree that I was at 
fault. 

The Chairman. That is all, Mr. Williams. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


249 


STATEMENT OF LIEUT. COMMANDER E. H. DURELL, U. S. NAVY. 

Lieut. Commander E. H. Durell, U. S. Navy, appeared before the 
subcommittee. 

The Chairman. Kindly state your full name to the reporter. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. E. H. Durell, lieutenant-com¬ 
mander, United States Navy. 

The Chairman. Mr. Williams was not in your division, was he? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; he was not in my 
division. 

The Chairman. He was in Lieutenant-Commander Decker’s divi¬ 
sion? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There are some matters we wish to inquire about 
in relation to Mr. Williams, so that it will go in the record. It would 
be better for us to take that up with Lieutenant-Commander Decker, 
would it not? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; he knows more about 
that than I do What I know is mostly by hearsay. 

The Chairman. You appear before the committee by order of the 
President and Secretary of the Navy for the purpose of giving such 
in ormation as you may be able to concerning the discipline and 
management of the academy, especially as it relates to hazing, so 
that your testimon}^ will be in the line of performance of duty. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman I do not think we need go over the field very 
thoroughly, as Lieutenant-Commander McYay has gone very thor¬ 
oughly into your method of discipline, and all that, which we need 
not repeat. How long have you been assigned to this duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I have been assigned to duty as 
a discipline officer since the latter part of last September. I have 
been here on duty at the academy longer than that. I came here a 
year ago last August, but the first year I was here I was on dut}^ as an 
instructor in the department of English and law. 

The Chairman. You are the senior member of the board of investi¬ 
gation ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What year did you graduate here ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I graduated in 1887. 

The Chairman. Did practices called hazing and running prevail 
when you were here? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. To a mild degree or to a considerable degree? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Well, there was no hazing of a 
very serious character—I mean physically. But it was very gener¬ 
ally practiced by the upper classes toward my class when we entered 
in 1883. 

The Chairman. And by your class, and the succeeding class? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I think it was continued; yes, 
sir. 

The Chairman. About the same as prevailed here during the last 
few months, except that no cases happened to occur of injury to the 
student—to the midshipman? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell There were no cases, at least I 


250 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


recall no cases, of injury. There were no serious physical hazing, but 
there was considerable of this minor hazing, and also the kind of haz¬ 
ing that we call running—just asking questions, you know. 

The Chairman. Ridiculing and making fun? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; singing songs, getting 
on top of the lockers and singing songs—and occasionally standing 
on your head. 

The Chairman. Were there any punishments for those offenses 
during your years here in the school ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; the same punishment 
existed then that exists now. I think the law requiring dismissal 
was then in effect. If I recall it correctly, sixteen members of the 
class next senior to me were court-martialed and dismissed in Sep¬ 
tember, 1883, for hazing members of my class. 

The Chairman. Are there any changes in the methods of discipline 
here during the present year from last year ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I think there is a very consid¬ 
erable change. It consists principally in having a set of four officers 
detailed here who shall have constant supervision. 

The Chairman. Giving each one a division? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Giving each one a division. 
That, itself, is new. That has never been done before that I know 
of. Previous to this, while they had regular discipline officers in 
the years past, these discipline officers did not have charge of divi¬ 
sions, but simply came on duty for a day. At that time it was less 
necessary, because the number of midshipmen varied from two hun¬ 
dred and fifty possibly at the beginning of the academic year down 
to sometimes less than two hundred at the end of the year 

The Chairman. So that really in former years one officer had direct 
charge of about the same number that he has now? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many are there in your division, for example? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. At the beginning of this year 
there were two hundred and twenty, about, in my division. 

The Chairman. How many are there now? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Now, after graduation and after 
those whom we expect to leave very shortly as the result of the exami¬ 
nations have gone, there will be about one hundred and fifty odd. 

The Chairman. And that again will increase when the new class 
comes in? 

Lieutenant Commander Durell. That will be increased, but they 
really do not come in until next summer. 

The Chairman. Are you enabled, by this closer association with 
the cadets, to keep in much closer touch with them, to tell much 
more closely whether they are obeying the regulations and whether 
they are committing violations or not, than under the former system ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Very much more closely. We 
have supervision over them now that, I think, has never been had by 
the discipline officers before in the academy. We have each of us an 
office in Bancroft Hall, within the confines of our divisions, where 
we can consult dail}^ with the cadet officers, and where we can sum¬ 
mon any midshipman in our division and converse with him on any 
matter which requires our attention. We also inspect part of the 
rooms of the division daily, and, generally speaking, we are brought 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 251 

in closer contact than I think the discipline officers ever have been 
brought before. 

The Chairman. Do yog inspect all the rooms in vour division 
daily ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Not all. There are too many. 
I inspect a portion daily. 

The Chairman. Alternating between one portion and another? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes; but without any routine. 

The Chairman. All of them are inspected during how long a time? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I divide my division into about 
three parts for the purposes of inspection, and visit about a third 
daily. 

The Chairman. In case you found a tendency on the part of one 
midshipman to keep his room in disorder, or to fail to keep it in order, 
would you give special attention to that ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I should report him constantly 
for his failure to keep the room in order, and I should send for him 
and speak to him on the subject—call his attention to it. 

The Chairman. Would it lead to more frequent inspection, to 
see if he was profiting by the demerits which he received ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No; I do not think I should do 
that, because unless a case was very extraordinary that would 
involve an injustice on the young man to subject him to more care, 
and the cliance of getting a greater number of demerits than other 
members of the division. 

The Chairman. The number of inspections of each room, then, 
is about the same during the month? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I think it comes very closely 
to being the exact number. 

The Chairman. Whether you find disorder or not? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; if there was any serious 
disorder going on in a young man’s room, and if I had reason to sus¬ 
pect continued smoking, card playing, or liquor there, I would sub¬ 
ject him to unlimited inspections; but that has not arisen with me 
in any particular case. 

The Chairman. But for minor offenses the condition of a room and 
wardrobe, and whether the window is shut, and those minor offenses 
you would not inspect them more frequently on that account? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Not at all. 

The Chairman. But you would if it was some grave offense like 
having intoxicating liquors in the room, card playing, or smoking? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I should stop at nothing to sat¬ 
isfy myself whether he was doing right or wrong in those tilings. 

The Chairman. If you discovered a cadet was smoking in his 
room, what would be the number of demerits you would report? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. For the first offense he would 
get 25 demerits; for the second offense he gets 50 demerits; for the 
third offense, I think, 75; and for the fourth offense 100. 

The Chairman. If you discovered that his clothes smell of tobacco 
smoke, what then? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I would report him for clothes 
smelling of tobacco smoke, and he would get 10 demerits, I think, for 
that; but I would require him to turn in any smoldng material or 
tobacco that he had. If he had any, I would probably report him 


252 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


for tobacco in his possession, which would be for the first offense, 25 
demerits. 

The Chairman. We find in the case of Mr. Dallas, that he received 
75 demerits on December 18. The charge is '^Clothes smelling of 
tobacco.” Is not that pretty severe? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. It is probably a repeated 
offense; probably his third offense. 

The Chairman. If it was the first offense, he would be given prob¬ 
ably 10? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. If liis clothes smelled of tobacco, 
and there was no evidence that he had used it, and he did not have 
tobacco in his possession, but had just been where there was smoking, 
that would be 10 demerits; but if his clothes smelled of tobacco, it 
would put us on inquiry, and we could inquire whether he had 
tobacco in his possession or not. If he had, he would get 25 demerits. 

The Chairman. Might he not be where his clothes would smell of ' 
tobacco without any fault on his part? Perhaps he had been with 
some of the officers or professors. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Pie would have an opportunity 
to make all that explanation to the commandant. 

The Chairman. In all of these cases the midshipman has a perfect 
right to make any explanation that he may see fit ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. He has. They all have a perfect 
right to do it. The explanation is received first by the divisional officer, 
who reads it over and makes a recommendation. The officer reports 
or confers with the commandant before the demerits are assigned. 
They are assigned by him. His attention is called to the midship¬ 
man’s statement, and if it is perfectly plain in his favor it is not 
necessary to go further. The commandant frequently sends for mid¬ 
shipmen when.reports are made against them and talks with them 
about it. Very frequently the divisional officers do so. 

The Chairman. He has a right to make it in writing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. He always does. 

The Chairman. Can he not talk with you personally? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. He can, or he can go and see the 
commandant. 

The Chairman. But the proper way is to put it in writing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. He is required to place it on file 
there. 

The Chairman. Whether he talks to you or not ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes. 

The Chairman. He sends it to the divisional officer? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. ^Vliat does the divisional officer do with it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Each morning we take the con¬ 
duct sheet and check all the statements or excuses. We read over 
the statements and consider them and mark them “Accepted” or 
“Not accepted.” If the statement is accepted, the midshipman 
receives no demerits. If it is not accepted, we put down the number 
of demerits he should receive on the schedule, except in serious cases 
we put “ R ” there and take it to the commandant and show it to him 
with the excuse, stating the conclusion we have arrived at about it. 

The Chairman. Are the letters forwarded in all cases to the com¬ 
mandant? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


253 


Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes; in all cases. 

The Chairman. Whether they are light or serious? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes; every one is kept on file, I 
think, in the commandant’s office for future reference. 

Mr. Dawson. I would like to ask this: Are these inspections of the 
rooms made for the sole purpose of discovering violations, or for the 
purpose of commendation and direction to the new classmen par¬ 
ticularly—the new cadets? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. In the regulation book it is pre¬ 
scribed exactly where every article of property of the midshipmen 
shall be kept, how the room shall be swept, how the bed shall be placed, 
and all that. The regular room inspection, as we call it, takes place 
every morning about 10 o’clock by the divisional officer. At this 
time we inspect more particularly to see that everything in the room 
is in order and in accordance with the regulations. At that time of 
the day we make such little reports as ^‘Room not carefully swept,” 
‘Yled not neatly made,” Crockery dirty,” “Spots on mirror,” 
“Spots on floor”—little things of that sort—mostly little things for 
which they receive 1 demerit. At that time of the day the midship¬ 
men know that an inspection will be made, and have their rooms in 
very good order. At an}^ other times during the day the rooms may 
be inspected by the officer in charge, at his discretion, to discover 
any kind of violation. Most of us have our own times and ways of 
doing it. I think each discipline officer does it in a certain way, 
wliich the midshipmen more or less quickly recognize. For instance, 
during the evening I always go to every floor in the building in each 
wing and step into a number of rooms on each floor. I open the 
door and say, “Good evening, gentlemen,” and look into the room 
to see that there is nobody visiting there and there is no evidence of 
the use of tobacco. Then I go along the corridors, and if I hear 
any noise in a room during study hours I go there to see if every¬ 
thing is all right. 

Mr. Dawson. I do not think you have caught my question prop¬ 
erly. Do you inspect the rooms solely to find infractions of regula¬ 
tions, or do you have in mind the purpose of direction—that is, 
commendation to those who are living up to the regulations, and 
direction to the new cadets who are not familiar with the regulations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Well, I go principally for the 
purpose of discovering infractions of regulations. The new midship¬ 
men enter at present in the summer time. For instance, they entered 
last summer in July, and the discipline organization of the school 
did not commence until the middle of October. I fancy that during 
the first two weeks they are here they are given every opportunity 
to get things straightened out. They are given lectures daily by the 
officers in charge on duty about these regulations, and told how they 
should arrange their rooms; but unless the rooms are very fine and 
attract attention it does not call for commendation. 

The Chairman. Under this new order of discipline, and with this 
close association by the disciplinary officers, how is it possible that 
the great amount of hazing which your investigation showed took 
place entirely escaped the attention of the disciplinary officers? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Because it was carried on with 
the greatest secrecy, and at times when the disciplinary officers could 
not be about—when it was known that the discipline officers were 


254 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


engaged at some other place. In my inspections from the time the 
school opened until the time the investigation began, when hazing 
stopped, I did not find a single case of hazing, and my attention was 
not called to anything of that sort. As a matter of fact I did not 
really believe it existed. 

The Chairman. Did you know that the pledge by the classes given 
to Admiral Brownson had been released? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. In a general way I had heard it 
spoken of and stated that when he went away they had been released 
from this pledge. 

The Chairman. I should think that that would have put you on 
your guard about hazing. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. We were on our guard. 

The Chairman. You say you did not think any existed. There¬ 
fore I supposed you were not looking for it verv much. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I did not think it existed, but 
whenever I made inspections I always in, a way, had it in mind. I 
never saw any evidence to confirm me in any idea that it did exist. 

The Chairman. When the boys are required to hang from jthe 
locker, do not their heels make marks on the side of it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. None that I have noticed. 

The Chairman. Their heels do not touch it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. They put their feet out at right 
angles from it. 

The Chairman. But in getting up, I imagine some of them would 
be clumsy and knock against the side of it. Class fighting exists as 
a method of enforcing hazing and rating regulations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; that is my belief. 

The Chairman. Have you ever given any attention to the cases 
that go to the hospital indicating fighting, which might be class 
fighting ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. There have been no such cases 
within my knowledge except in the Meriwether-Branch affair. That 
received attention. 

The Chairman. I suppose most of the students that engage in a 
fight go to the sick quarters for one purpose or another—to have an 
eye painted, or a lip sewed up, or to have more serious injuries 
attended. Do these facts come to the attention of the disciplinary 
officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. They would not. A boy might 
have a fight and go to the hospital and have anything whatever done 
to him, as far as we would know. 

The Chairman. Why should that source of information be neg¬ 
lected? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. The sick report is made by the 
surgeon at the hospital. One copy stating the injuries and the 
diseases- 

The Chairman. We are familiar with the records there. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. We have simpty a list of the 
names come to us. We do not see the other details. 

The Chairman. That still leaves the question unanswered. Why 
do not the disciplinary officers have the benefit of this knowledge, as 
a means of detection? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. The commandant has it. He is 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


255 


the head of the department of discipline, and he has that information. 
It has never been furnished to the others. The report, I believe, is 
generally considered a confidential document—the one which has the 
diseases and things of that sort. It comes from the surgeon to the 
superintendent, and the other cop}^ to the commandant. 

The Chairman. Do you mean if a boy comes in with a couple of 
black eyes, or a broken jaw, or contused nose, or something of that 
kind, that it is confidential on the part of the doctor? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. I mean what I said 
before, that the sick report, which has the nature of the injury, goes 
to the senior officers only. 

The Chairman. Is such an injury as that considered to be of a 
confidential nature? • 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I think the surgeons consider 
that the maladies from which different patients are suffering is more 
or less confidential; yes, sir. That information is supplied only to 
the senior officers. It is the same way on board ship. 

The Chairman. Are the surgeons, under the regulations, made a 
part of the disciplinary force of the academy ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; there is no surgeon 
attached to the department of discipline. He has charge of drills in 
the gymnasium, but he does not have anything to do with the dis¬ 
cipline. 

The Chairman. Look at rule 12, of the Naval Kegulations, and 
see if that applies to surgeons. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell (after examining the section 
referred to). I consider that it applies to surgeons the same as to 
anybody else here. 

The Chairman. It makes them a part of the force? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then if indications of violations of the rules appear 
in the surgeons’ department by reason of students going there with 
injuries which indicate that they have been engaged in fighting, is it 
not the duty of the surgeon to report that fact ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I should say it would be under a 
strict interpretation of that rule. 

The Chairman. Not under a strict interpretation, but a plain, ordi¬ 
nary interpretation of it. It would not have to be a strict interpreta¬ 
tion, would it ? A boy comes in with a black eye and with very strong 
evidence of having been engaged in violating the rules. That comes 
to the knowledge of the surgeon, of course, the same as it might come ’ 
to the knowledge of one of the professors in a class room. The case 
would be no different because he is a surgeon, would it? He should 
report the knowledge? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. The surgeon might not make 
any inquiry about how the boy received the injuries at all, sir. 

The Chairman. Why is it not a matter of serious negligence and 
failure to take advantage of one of the easiest and surest sources of 
information for the detection of violations? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. It certainly offers a source for 
detecting them. I suppose they have felt that their duty was con¬ 
fined more or less to ministering to the injuries of the people without 
investigating the cause of their injuries, except, possibly, in serious 
cases. 


256 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Their duty there, I suppose, is governed by the 
Naval Regulations, or the regulations of the academy, and by orders 
that are given them from day to day by the superintendent 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; undoubtedly. 

The Chairman. If the superintendent directs them to report to him 
evidences of fighting which come to their notice, it would become a 
part of their duty, if it was not in the regulations, as it is ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, it would; undoubtedly. 

The Chairman. Would you think that in the future enforcement 
of discipline here that is a source of information which ought to be 
used more extensivel}^ than it has been? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; I think it would be. 
I think it would lead to the discovery of fights. 

The Chairman. What is the reason that six months from now, 
when the excitement over hazing and the fear of the result which is 
now before most of the boys’* minds has worn away, that they can 
not practice hazing again, secretly, as they have m the past few 
months, and escape your attention? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Because when the superintend¬ 
ent ordered this board of investigation and obtained from the Secre¬ 
tary of the Navy the power for that board to administer oaths, and 
when he decided to keep that board in session and to have it meet at 
irregular and unexpected intervals, and examine a number of the 
lower class men to discover whether or not there is hazing, he made 
use of the most powerful instrument, I think, there is; and the pre¬ 
vention and discovery of hazing will come from the investigations of 
that board. 

The Chairman. It will be kept organized? The organization will 
be maintained right along from now on ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; the superintendent has 
said that he intends to keep that board in session. 

The Chairman. To meet at irregular intervals? The board will 
assemble at irregular intervals, and they will examine cadet officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. They will call in fourth class- 
men; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You will put them under oath, and cover the period 
since the last meeting? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. That board has great 
power, as perhaps you ma}^ have discovered in reading the testimony. 
It differs from most naval courts of inquiry, because, for instance, a 
court of inquiry, which is a sort of board, allows the accused to appear 
with an attorney, and he can ask questions and stop the proceedings 
and lengthen them indefinitely, whereas this board can get to business. 

The Chairman. We understand that. How do you account for 
the breakdown in the discipline of the academy which is evidenced 
by the fact that the cadet officers have entirely failed to report these 
violations, and, further, that a code of honor seems to have grown up 
among them whereby they feel bound to shield classmates rather 
than to observe their oaths given when they entered the academy and 
their duties as cadet officers? How do you account for that? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. It is a matter of a considerable 
length of time for those midshipmen to arrive at the condition in 
which we found them. There has always been, and is now, a very 
strong sentiment among midshipmen against reporting their own 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


257 


classmates. They dislike to do it for reasons which are more or less 
obvious, I think; but after the number of midshipmen at he academy 
was increased so largely the number of officers was not correspondingly 
increased, and the services of all the officers here were required for 
the purposes of instruction. So that the department of discipline 
for a number of years had no officers regularly assigned to it, and 
officers from the department of seamanship and gunnery went down 
there about once in ten days and performed the duty of officer in 
charge. They also had, in addition to that, to attend recitations 
and drills during the time they were on duty, so that for a considerable 
part of their time the^^ were away from the building when they were 
on duty. In addition to that, they felt, possibly, that they had other 
and more serious duties in their department, learning lessons and 
instructing; and besides that, they did not go there often enough to 
familiarize themselves with the midshipmen. Last year the officer 
in charge remained on duty in what we used to call the old quarters— 
the building that was destroyed this summer up here. Part of the 
midshipmen were quartered in the two annexes, which have recently 
been torn down. The latter part of the year they sent one-half of the 
brigade down to Bancroft Hall, where they lived in one wing. There 
was nobody there to keep them straight, except the midshipman 
officer of the day. It gave them an opportunity to carry out their 
own ideas of discipline. With all these midshipmen here by them¬ 
selves they were bound to make rules for themselves, and I do not 
think the rules of the academy were enforced. I suppose those who 
had the matter under control believed the services of the officers were 
more necessary for the purpose of instruction in the different depart¬ 
ments, possibly, than they were as discipline officers. But these mid¬ 
shipmen, being comparatively free from supervision of the officers, 
were able to build up and to maintain this code among themselves, 
whereby they established for each class a certain set of privileges 
which they called rates. 

The CiiAiKMAN. Have you or, to your knowledge, any of the other 
disciplinary^ officers that have been here during the present school 
failed to report any violations of the rules—failed to report any fights 
there, class fights or personal fights, which came to their attention ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; I had not the inclina¬ 
tion to do so. 

The Chairman. What is your personal opinion of the system of 
hazing and running ? Do any benefits whatever grow out of it to the 
midshipmen ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You think there are no redeeming features in the 
practice? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. There are none. We found from 
the fact laid before that board of investigation that the fourth class 
men were required to submit to hazing. Any upper class man who 
undertook to haze a fourth class man who objected was obliged to 
carry that matter through to a finish; otherwise he was in decidedly ill 
repute with his own class. If a fourth class man were of a high-strung 
temperament and would not submit to hazing-—if a third or second 
class man started to haze him and he was rebellious, that third or sec¬ 
ond class man had to carry the matter through, no matter what hap¬ 
pened. The fourth class man had to be downed, and the upper class 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-17 


258 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


man had to be victorious, if it took the whole strength of the upper 
class to do it. If one could not do it, they would have all the upper 
class do it. It resulted in a system of terrorism down here that was a 
surprise to me. There was no such thing in my days, as that cooper¬ 
ation among the upper classes. The condition, to my mind, was 
utterly bad. 

The Chairman. Are ^mu confident that with the system of disci¬ 
pline which prevails now, and with your board of investigation as a 
weapon in your hands, hazing can be entirely suppressed here? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No; I do not think- 

The Chairman. I mean as a system? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. There will be sporadic, irregular 
cases, but it can be; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. As a system, you do not think it can exist? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; I do net—not as long as 
the present superintendent, with his ideas and the assistance he gets 
from the commandant, is here to carry out those ideas. It is done 
away with, but I do not have any strong feeling that it may not break 
out again under a different system, a few years later, it seems to 
exist m the air of this place. 

The Chairman. Do you think that hazing practices which do not 
result in injury or danger to the lower class man who is hazed, but 
which are more in a spirit of fun, should be punished by dismissal 
from the academy, or should a lesser degree of punishment be 
imposed? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. If they were simply isolated 
cases, where one boy had a little fun with the ether boy, it might be 
safe to say that a lesser punishment would suffice; but when I dis¬ 
cover the state of affairs which did exist here this fall, and when I see 
that the law passed by Congress which makes dismissal the punish¬ 
ment for hazing has had no deterrent effect, I can not exactly see why 
substituting a lesser punishment should be expected to have a better 
effect. 

The Chairman. The definition of hazing as used by your board, and 
by the courts-martial, was so framed as to cover the slightest offenses. 
Is it your opinion that the three or four hundred boys here who are 
involved, some of them in a very slight degree, should all be dismissed ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I should dislike very much to see 
that. 

The Chairman. Or would you say that a large number of them fell 
into a system without a realization of the fact that it was contrary to 
law of the land; that they had been released from their word of honor 
which had been given, and to some extent considered that as a license 
on their part, or as a justification on their part, for these practices? 
Would you not say that a lesser degree of punishment in those cases, 
where there was no cruelty, no meanness, would be more appropriate 
if you were making the law yourself? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. It -almost seems so to me, 
because as I say very frankly, I should not like to see any very large 
number of the midshipmen dismissed; but, I would be almost willing 
to see the law remain as it is, in my personal opinion, if these boys could 
escape this time, and to still keep that law. I do not see how you can 
palter with hazing. I do not think you can say running or fagging 
may have a certain punishment, and standing on the head shall hav'e 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


259 


another. They both involve humiliation. Perhaps one involves it 
more than the other, but where a strict law has been found ineffectual, 
I do not see how we can hope to get better results with a law that is 
not so strict. 

The Chairman. Is it not sometimes true, not only here, but in the 
courts of the country, that a law which is unduly severe defeats its 
purpose ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; because it can not be 
carried out. 

The Chairman. And that the jurors are unwilling to convict where 
the punishment seems to be entirely disproportionate to the offense ? 
If stealing apples off of a stand was punishable by State’s prison for 
life, I imagine it would be very difficult to have a boy convicted who 
should commit that offense. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I should suppose that that law 
would be promptly repealed. 

The Chairman. Yes. If the law left it in the discretion of the 
authorities here—with the superintendent, with the approval of the 
Secretary of the Navy, or directed the superintendent to convene a 
court-martial in these cases of hazing, and inflict either the maximum 
penalty of dismissal, or a less penalty as they might deem just— 
would not that strike you as a more equitable system than one which 
puts all classes of hazing under a sweeping term involving the slightest 
infraction of the rules, on the same plane of punishment ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; I think I can say that 
that would seem to be a more just law. 

The Chairman. Can you think of any worse violation, any more 
demoralizing violation of ^mur rules here than the bringing of liquor 
into a room? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. That is about as bad as anything 
we can have. It is likely to result in all kinds of disorder. 

The Chairman. It is likely to result in as bad a state of discipline 
as anything else? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Yet you would not favor punishing a first offense 
by dismissal, although you might if it were persisted in. In that case 
you would say that for the benefit of the academy the cadet ought to 
go? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I should have no objection to 
seeing dismissal for the first offense for that thing. It is considered 
about as bad a thing as you could do here by a large number of people 
in this country—I mean the use of liquor by young men. 

The Chairman. Yes. Suppose we should get a law permitting 
graded punishment. For instance, a cadet is found to be guilty of 
some slight infraction or violation of the rules relating to hazing. He 
requires an under class man to sit on the edge of his chair at dinner^— 
not an exceedingly serious offense, and something involving no partic¬ 
ular hardship to the lower class man, and something that is not espe¬ 
cially humiliating. The divisional officer detects him and inflicts 
upon the upper class man requiring it 50 demerits. That would be a 
pretty severe warning to him to discontinue even the mildest types 
of hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; that is a severe punish¬ 
ment. 


260 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. The next offense, even if it is of the slightest char¬ 
acter, would give him, say, another 50 demerits. The maximum is 
150 for the first class? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. For the first class they may 
receive 150 demerits in a year. 

The Chairman. That puts that young man in a position where dur¬ 
ing the balance of the year one more case of hazing, even a slight case, 
will entitle him to dismissal. Would not that be a more equitable 
system than that by which for the first infraction a court-martial is 
to be convened and by which, if he be found guilty of making a lower 
class man sit on the edge of his chair at dinner he shall be taken out 
of the academy ? Perhaps a valuable officer may be lost to the service 
in that way, and many thousands of dollars that have been invested 
in him up to that date lost to the Government? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Possibly it might be; yes, sir. 
But I do not know that this law which is at present in force was advo¬ 
cated particularly by naval officers. It was passed, I believe, by 
Congress at a time when they were incensed at hazing. 

The Chairman. Passed, perhaps, in a fit of passion caused by some 
violent case of hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. I think we can carry 
on good discipline with whatever law you see fit to give us. It seems 
so to me. 

The Chairman. I do not know that I have anything else to ask. 
Have you, Mr. Dawson? 

Mr. Dawson. Commander, you were here during all of the last 
academic year? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. But not in the discipline department? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; I was in the department 
of English and Law, where I was an instructor. 

Mr. Dawson. Were you familiar, in a general way, with the disci¬ 
pline of the academy? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Only in a very general way, 
because the instructors do not have drills, and I had none. I met the 
midshipmen only in passing through the yard and in the section rooms. 
I was rarely, if ever, in the midshipmen’s quarters. I had nothing to 
call me there, and such information as I had was only gained in the 
course of conversations, perhaps, out in the mess here with other 
officers. 

Mr. Dawson. Can you tell me what the general understanding 
during the last academic year was with regard to the definition of 
hazing ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I can give you such information 
as I gained on the board of investigation. The midshipmen stated, 
and they have told me this fall, that their understanding of the hazing 
that they were pledged not to do included physical hazing only. 
Whether that definition of hazing was sanctioned wholly by the 
authorities I can not really say. But that is the way they accepted 
it—physical hazing. 

Mr. Dawson. Did you know, during the last academic year, that 
the practices of running or fagging prevailed at the academy ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I did not know it, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. But that was developed quite conclusively by your 
board of investigation? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


261 


Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Very plainly, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Was that practice in as prevalent use during the last 
academic year as it was during the present academic year ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I believe it to have been; yes, 
sir. We have stated in one of the conclusions in the board of investi¬ 
gation that we believe that aside from a little physical hazing the lot 
of the midshipman during the present year and up to the time the 
board had its sittings was no more uncomfortable than during the 
preceding years. I refer to the fourth class men, of course. 

Mr. Dawson. Under the definition of hazing as it is at present 
understood by the discipline officers of the academy the practice of 
running and fagging is considered in the same light as physical hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. We adopted that defi¬ 
nition when the board met. We were ordered by the superintendent 
to find out all about hazing, and in order to find out all about it we 
adopted that definition of hazing for our own use. Nobody else had 
to adopt it, but we adopted it. We told the witnesses when they came 
before us that for the purposes of our investigation hazing included not 
only physical hazing, but running or fagging; or being obliged to carry 
out involuntarily any act in obedience to an unauthorized order. We 
wished to leave nothing out, but to develop everything there was. 
We put these young men under oath in the effort to la}^ the whole thing 
bare. 

Mr. Dawson. Was your definition of hazing framed on any advice 
received from the Attorney-General of the United States? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; we had no consultation 
with him, but I got a large part of my ideas about that definition from 
the definition in the regulations of the United States Military Acad¬ 
emy, which goes into the matter very much more fully than anything 
else I had seen. 

Mr. Dawson. Did your board ever have a definition of hazing from 
the legal department of the Government? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. It is evident, then, to my mind, that there has been a 
change in the definition of the word hazing.’^ 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I think so myself. 

Mr. Dawson. I find in the report of the superintendent of the acad¬ 
emy for the last academic year this statement: 

No case of hazing has occurred during the past year— 

that would be the year ending June 30, 1905? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Under the present definition of hazing you found 
about as much running and fagging during the last academic year as 
you have during the first academic year? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. "We did not investigate much into 
the last academic year. We had a few upper class men—Mr. Chantry, 
who stood No. 1 ‘in his class, and Mr. Campbell, now in the fourth 
class, who was turned back, and I think one or two other midshipmen 
gave us this information. But we did not take any upper class men 
and have them testify as to what happened last year. We got this 
knowledge more or less incidentally. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you any general knowledge of the prevalence 
of class fighting during the last academic year ? 


262 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; I have not. I was on 
the board which investigated the Branch-Meriwether fight the morn¬ 
ing after the fight occurred and before Mr. Branch died. 

Mr. Dawson. What I mean is, being here during the last academic 
year in the capacity of an instructor, was it a matter of common 
knowledge among you that class fighting was being indulged in to a 
greater or lesser degree'? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. No, sir; I do not remember of 
hearing of any cases. I do not recall any case at all. 

Mr. Dawson. As one of the divisional officers it is a part of your 
duty to eat your meals in the mess hall every fourth day, I believe, is 
it not? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you, in the performance of that duty, discov¬ 
ered any evidences of hazing in the mess hall ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. None whatever, except a general 
custom that the fourth class men had of sitting upright at the table. 
I did not notice that for a considerable time—but nothing else. 

Mr. Dawson. It did appear from the testimony that was taken by 
this board of investigation that these cases of putting boys under the 
table occurred in the remote corners of the mess hall ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. They did, almost entirely, where 
I could not have seen it. If we had suspected it, we could not have 
seen it. I will say, however, that we were slow witted enough not to 
suspect it. I never heard of such a thing until it came out in the early 
part of the investigation. 

Mr. Dawson. When were all of the midshipmen quartered in Ban¬ 
croft Hall? Do you remember the date? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. You mean last year or this year ? 

Mr. Dawson. This year. 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. The fourth class was quartered 
there during the summer, and upon the return of the midshipmen 
from leave about October 14 or 15 they all took their rooms in Ban¬ 
croft Hall. 

Mr. Dawson. You stated a while ago that the new midshipmen 
during the course of their first two months in the academy were given 
occasional instructions regarding the regulations? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. How frequent were those and of what nature? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. They took place, I think, daily, 
at about 2 o'clock p. m. In the summer time they had no active 
drills until 3 p. m. on account of the heat. But about 2 p. m., I 
think, daily, they were sent down in the mess hall, and the officer in 
charge instructed them about the general naval rules and regulations, 
and also instructed them about the rules and regulations of the Naval 
Academy. That was kept up for a number of weeks until the sub¬ 
ject was worn so threadbare that the officers said there was nothing 
left to talk about to that class and asked, I think, to have it discon¬ 
tinued. That went on in the latter part of July, August, and part of 
September. 

Mr. Dawson. I understood a temporary order was issued preventing 
upper class men from visiting the rooms of fourth class men during a 
certain period. Was that before the school year opened? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; that was during Sep¬ 
tember. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 263 

Mr. Dawson. Could you get us a copy of that order; or is it a part 
of your records? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. We hunted for that order in 
order to produce it before the general court-martial which was sitting 
here, and I think the only copy we found of it was a memorandum to 
that effect, which is in a memorandum order book belonging to the 
officers in charge, in Bancroft Hall. That is the best of my recollec¬ 
tion. 

Mr. Dawson. Were the new cadets thoroughly instructed regard¬ 
ing the law of the land respecting hazing, do you remember? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I was not on duty during the 
summer, except for a few days in September, and I did not deliver any 
of those lectures myself. I only know the general tendency of the 
lectures, so I can not answer your question specifically. 

Mr. Dawson. Do the new midshipmen feel pretty free to consult 
the divisional officers in case of anything they do not understand, or 
any trouble they get into? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I hope they do. We have a very 
broad order from the superintendent and from the commandant to 
have the midshipmen consult us in regard to any matter. We are not 
only there for discipline purposes, but to aid them in any way we can, 
and to give them instruction on any point—matters of etiquette or any¬ 
thing of that sort that they wish to know about. It is considered part 
of our duty. But they do not consult us very much. Occasionally 
one comes in and has something that he has not been able to settle for 
himself, and we try to help him out. 

Mr. Dawson. For my own information I would like to ask you as 
chairman of the board of investigation, how you compel witnesses to 
give incriminating evidence. Did you meet that point in your 
deliberations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. We did not compel any witness 
to give any incriminating evidence. We had a few upper class men 
before us whom we knew were involved in hazing. We had them 
testify with regard to matters which did not concern themselves, and 
we told them that they need not give any evidence which would 
incriminate themselves. 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask you a question or two, please. 
Under the general plan of discipline in the academy, does not the 
maintenance of discipline and the suppression of hazing depend very 
largely upon the proper discharge of their duties by the cadet and 
petty officers? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; it does. 

Mr. Padgett. What assurance have you that these officers in the 
future will discharge their duties more thoroughly than they have in 
the past? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. The action of the superintendent 
here with regard to the general question of discipline in this academy 
has brought about a state of affairs that is a revolution almost from 
what has previously existed, and has, I think, succeeded in impressing 
upon the cadet officers and petty officers the fact that duty is duty, 
and that they are to carry on their duty in all respects without fear 
or favor; that they are not only to do their best to observe the regu¬ 
lations themselves, but that they are to report infractions of all kinds; 
and they have announced to him in r^^sponse to an inquiry from him 


264 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


as to whether or not they intended to do their duty that they did 
intend to do their duty conscientiously. We have to place a certain 
amount of faith in their good intentions, which I think will be justified. 

Mr. Padgett. Do I understand that you have been instructing 
these cadet and petty officers more specifically in the matter of their 
duties? 

Lieutenant-Commander Dukell. They have been so instructed by 
the commandant and by the superintendent, and in quite a number of 
cases by the divisional officers who have had serious talks with them. 

Mr. Padgett. I will ask you if it has not been one cause of serious 
trouble heretofore that cadet and petty officers have failed to realize 
or to appreciate properly the obligation that has rested upon them to 
discharge without fear or favor the duties that have rested upon them 
as such officers? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. I think that is so; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And I understand that the discipline officers now are 
trying to overcome this by a more thorough instruction and impres¬ 
sion of their duty upon these officers than has heretofore been the case ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Durell. Yes, sir; that is so, too. 

The Chairman. That is all, commander. If we have anything else 
that occurs to us and that we want to ask you about, we will ask you 
to be kind enough to come in again. 

The subcommittee (at 12.50 o’clock p. m.) took a recess until 2 
o’clock p. m. 

After recess the subcommittee reassembled at 2 o’clock p. m., 
Hon. E. B. Vreeland in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN ARTHUE ALTON GARCELON, U. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman Arthur Alton Garcelon, JJ. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Arthur Alton Garcelon. 

The Chairman. From what State were you appointed? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The State of Maine, sir. 

The Chairman. What district? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The Second district, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Garcelon, you and Mr. Hayes and Mr. Roberts 
are at present detained upon charges? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Which have not as yet been presented to you. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In any questions which we may ask this afternoon 
we shall not want to touch upon any personal conduct of any of you 
three gentlemen, and anything which may be inadvertently put down 
that would have any bearing upon your cases will be stricken out of 
the testimony. That is, we are here investigating the general condi¬ 
tions of the management and discipline of the academy, especially as 
they relate to hazing, with no intention or desire of inquiring into any 
cases that are now or may be hereafter likely to receive the attention 
of the authorities. So we will strike out anything that may be inad¬ 
vertently brought out bearing upon that matter. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 265 

Mr. Padgett. You might also state that he need not state anything 
that would incriminate himself. 

The Chairman. We will strike it out, so that there will be absolute 
freedom in answering the questions. 

You belong to the class which has just graduated? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You have been here, therefore, nearly four years? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your first year, then, was 1901 or 1902? 

Midshipman Garcelon. 1902, in the fall, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you hazed much during your freshman year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I was what they call‘Yun.’ 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Garcelon. I presume now that it would be called 
hazing. 

The Chairman. It' is now called hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What hazing practices or running practices pre¬ 
vailed—in 1902, did you say? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What names did the 3 ^give to them in those days? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, there was the standing on the head, 
the sixteenth, the hanging on the locker- 

The Chairman. The leaning rest? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, they had something that was not 
in the drill tactics then, but it amounted to the same thing, sir. It 
amounted to the same thing as the leaning rest now. Then there 
was the rabbit dance and hanging on the locker. 

The Chairman. Practicallv the same line they have now, then. 

Midshipman Garcelon. I presume so, sir: ^^es. 

The Chairman. Did the practice prevail during }mur fourth class 
year of having the members of that class perform services for the 
upper class men, such as bringing up food from the mess room and 
taking care of their rooms to some extent—opening windows, wind¬ 
ing up the clock, or looking after their clothes, or any services of 
that kind ? Did that prevail while 3 mu were in your freshman 3 "ear ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; some of that did. I do not 
remember of anybody having to bring up food from the mess hall, 
sir, but the other things I remember. 

The Chairman. What did the 3 ’' call that? Did the 3 " have any term 
for it ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It just simpl 3 ^ came under the general 
term of ^Tunning.’’ That is the way we understood it, sir. 

The Chairman. The term ‘Tagging’’ was not used here? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And never has been used as applied to that ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I have never heard of it; no, sir. 

The Chairman. All those forms or practices are now called haz¬ 
ing, I think, under the definitions of the Attorney-General. These 
practices, such as you have described, performing little services for 
upper class men, and what you term rating, and what you term run¬ 
ning, have prevailed pretty uniformly ever since you have been here ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. They have in a slight way; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I do not refer now to physical exercises called 


266 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


hazing, but to the practices of running, performing services for upper 
class men, etc. That has prevailed here during each of the years 
since you have been here ? 

Midshipman Gakcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did they send them under the table in your first 
year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What did they term that—running? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That'was considered running; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Has that ever been considered as hazing under the 
boys’ definition of it ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I have not heard it was considered so. 

The Chairman. Last year, when your agreement against physical 
hazing was in'force, I suppose sending under the table and sitting on 
the edge of the chair at meals would not be considered physical haz¬ 
ing. That would be termed running? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There has been no great difference from year to 
year about the amount of what is called running? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Why, I don’t think there has been so 
much lately as there used to be, sir. It has greatly diminished since 
my first year. 

The Chairman. You say lately. What do ^mu mean? The last 
three or four months ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; after my first year here. 

Mr. Padgett. Plow was it the last academic year with reference 
to running? 

Midshipman Garcelon. You mean this present year? 

Mr. Padgett. Not the present 3 ^ear. The last year, terminating 
June 30, 1905, for the year preceding. 

Midshipman Garcelon. The forms of running were in vogue then, 
sir; such light forms as I have told you about. 

Mr. Padgett. Tell what kinds prevailed in the year preceding 
June 30, 1905. 

Midshipman Garcelon. It consisted mostly of making the fourth 
class men tell stories at the table and reporting the dessert every 
noon, to wake upper class men up in the morning, and to wind their 
clocks. That is about all, except the rates. The rates consisted of 
fourth class men sitting on the edge of the chair in the mess hall- 

Mr. Padgett. Did you have any go under the table in that year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; not that I know of. 

Mr. Padgett. That is all, Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman. The class you belong to was one of the classes that 
made the agreement with Admiral Brownson in relation to physical 
hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your class understood that to apply to physical 
hazing only. Was that Die construction of the class? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was the construction we put on it. 

The Chairman. What year did your class first make that agree¬ 
ment? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In 1903, when we first came back from 
September leave. 

The Chairman. What were the circumstances about making that 
agreement ? Through whom was it made—the class president ? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


267 


Midshipman Garcelon. It was made through the president^ 
directed to the commandant of midshipmen, and from him to the 
superintendent. 

The Chairman. What consideration was given in case your class 
was willing to make this agreement and take upon yourselves the 
suppression of physical hazing? Were any other privileges to be 
allowed to yom as a consideration for it ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I did not know of any, sir. There were 
none given to us after that, either. 

The Chairman. Did your pledge to Admiral Brownson cover any¬ 
thing besides hazing? Were pledges given in relation to other 
matters as well? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In our first year we gave a pledge that we 
would not gouge in the recitation room or class room or anywhere 
else. 

The Chairman. In your freshman 3 ^ear? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The ChairjUAN. Anything else? Was trenching covered at any 
time by an agreement? 

Midshipman Garcelon. We gave him an agreement last year that 
we would not french, and in return for that he said we would not 
have to sign the liberty book when we went on liberty—when we 
were entitled to liberty we would not have to sign the book as the 
others have to. 

The Chairman. How often do they have to sign the book? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Ever^^ time they went out of the gate, sir. 

The Chairman. And those who gave their pledge were permitted 
to go out without signing the book? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is it not your understanding, Mr. Garcelon, that 
the practices known as running increased quite largely after the 
pledge against physical hazing was given ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Is that your observation? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Some of the midshipmen think that the practice 
of running—anything outside of physical hazing—rather increased 
as the result of the stoppage of the physical hazing. That is not 
as you observe it. 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You think there was no more of it. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was there not more of what we might call fagging, 
performing menial services, after that stopped ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I did not observe that there was any, sir. 

The Chairman. You say during your freshman year you never 
knew of meals being brought up from the mess.hall. That has 
prevailed during the last year and a half, has it not? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, that would be one instance of an increase 
in practices outside of physical hazing ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; but I can explain that, sir. 
They used to quarter the midshipmen by classes, each class living 
at a different place. That is, the fourth class men lived over in the 


268 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


old annexes—Annex A and Annex B. The upper class men all lived 
in the main quarters. In that case the fourth class men were kept 
together more or less, and the only time we were bothered or inter¬ 
fered with was when the upper class men came over to the annexes 
to see us. As it is now, all the classes are quartered together and a 
first class man may have fourth class men rooming right next door. 
It would be very easy for him to ask the fourth class men to bring 
up his breakfast. 

The Chaikman. Then you think it was the location of the classes 
with respect to each other which developed this system of service to 
the upper class men? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; I do, sir. 

The Chairman. How many fights do you think have taken place 
between class men during your three years and a half, or thereabouts, 
here? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, I should say about a dozen that I 
have known about myself, sir. 

The Chairman. Is knowledge of fights generally circulated pretty 
thoroughly ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is the sort of news that travels fast, and very 
few of them miss it? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You think that during the past three years, for 
example, you have known of over a dozen fights, altogether ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not believe I know of any more than 
that, sir, because there have been several that have not amounted to 
very much, and those were not told around very thoroughly. 

The Chairman. You would not think there were as many as thirty 
in the last three years? 

Midshipman Garcelon. There might possibly be; yes, sir. Very 
likely, sir. 

The Chairman. What do you understand class fighting to mean, 
as distinguished from other sorts of fighting between midshipmen ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, I have only known of one class 
fight since I have been here. 

The Chairman. During your three years and a half? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. That was in my first year, my 
freshman year. One of our class had broken a rate, and in breaking 
it he told what they thought was a falsehood. He was spoken to 
about it, and some misunderstanding arose. He said he would fight, 
and so the class above us picked out a man to fight this man. That 
was a class fight. But the others I have heard of were simply per¬ 
sonal matters, as far as I know. 

The Chairman. What is the reason for class fighting, generally? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In the case, for example, of this man 
during my first year, he broke a rate and then tried to lie out of it, 
and of course the upper class men would not stand for that. 

Mr. Dawson. Did he get whipped in the first fight? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. There was only one fight in that case? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; and that fight was the one that 
caused Admiral Brownson to put the third class on oath not to do any 
more hazing or running or anything. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


269 


The Chaikman. That was the reason he put them on oath? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then does class fighting grow out of a refusal to be 
hazed or run or rated ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In this case if the man had not tried to 
lie out of it he would never have been interfered with at all, sir; but 
that is what got the upper class down on him. 

The Chairman. Do you wish us to understand that your answer 
is that class fighting is not used to enforce obedience of lower class men 
to hazing and to rates and regulations? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; that is not my answer. 

The Chairman. Is not that the truth? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, it is a fact that a plebe, if he does 
not want to keep the rates, understands that if he does not keep the 
rates he will have to fight with upper class men. That is the under¬ 
standing, sir. 

The Chairman. Yes; that is the understanding of everyone, I 
guess. How many class fights did you say you had known or during 
your three years and a half? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That one, sir. 

The Chairman. That is all, in three years and a half? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; that I know of, sir—that I have 
heard of. 

The Chairman. You do not take the papers, do you? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Would you believe that eight, ten, or a dozen 
class fights had taken place in the last two years? 

Mid^ipman Garcelon. No, sir; not class fights, sir. 

The Chairman. During your service here have the disciplinary 
officers of the academy objected to fighting? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I have never known them to object, sir. 
I have never known them to countenance it. 

The Chairman. Have any punishments of any character been 
inflicted, to your knowledge, for any fighting previous to the Branch- 
Meriwether case ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; not that I remember of, sir. 

The Chairman. Is it your understanding that the disciplinary 
officers, or some of them, were familiar with the fact that fights took 
place? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know that they were, sir; but I 
do not see how they could help it if the fellows came around with 
their eyes all blacked and the faces all bruised. 

The Chairman. Have you ever known of the disciplinary officers 
making inquiries of the boys as to where they got black eyes or cut 
lips, or other indications of fighting? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; I never haye, sir. 

The Chairman. Is it the understanding amongst the boys that if 
they go to the sick quarters, to the surgeons, to have some repairs 
made for injuries received in fighting—not of a serious nature—that 
no report will be made of it by the surgeons; that it is not a part of 
their duty to report it ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I know that they have not reported it, sir. 

The Chairman. Do not the boys feel tolerably easy about going 
there, feeling that it will not be reported ? 


270 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any instances of discrimination 
by the disciplinary officers—unfair discrimination—between mid¬ 
shipmen? I mean in the inflicting of demerits or other punishment 
for violations? 

Midshipman Garcelon. There have been many cases in which we 
ourselves thought the officers were discriminating. 

The Chairman. You think that in one case a boy would receive 
demerits for punishment, and that in another case where the offense 
was equally grave no punishment would be given ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. His statement would be accepted; yes, 
sir. 

The Chairman. What instances can you give of favoritism or 
unjust discrimination against one boy? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, I remember one case not long ago. 
A fourth class man was.caught, I think, in a corridor out of uniform. 
That is against regulations. He was reported for it, and two midship¬ 
men on duty saw him. He put in a statement, and his statement was 
accepted. 

The Chairman. That is, he put in an excuse of extenuating cir¬ 
cumstances ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; an excuse, and it was accepted. 

The Chairman. Could it be such an excuse as they could properly 
accept? 

Midshipman Garcelon. He could not excuse his being out there 
out of uniform, because other midshipman got reported for the same 
thing, and got demerits for it. 

The Chairman. Are there not any possible circumstances which 
might excuse being in the corridor out of uniform? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Not at that time, sir, in his case. 

The Chairman. You do not know what his excuse was, that he 
sent in? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The excuse as I understand it—I did not 
see it—was that he was not there out of uniform. 

The Chairman. Who reported him; the cadet officers? 

Midshipman Garcelon. A midshipman of the second class who 
was on duty. He was not a cadet officer; no, sir. He was simply 
on duty on that floor. 

Mr. Padgett. Would it be well to have the name of the midship¬ 
man? 

The Chairman. I was thinking whether I would inquire the name. 
I see no objection. Do you remember the name of the midshipman? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was he a fourth class man? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What was his name? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Mr. Drew, sir. 

The Chairman. His name was Drew? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What, in your mind, is the reason that the penalty 
was not imposed by the d sciplinary officer ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I don’t know that I have any good reason 
at all, sir; but I think it was because he was a fourth class man, and 
he thought the upper class men were trying to pick on him. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


271 


The Chairman. About when was this? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I should say about a month ago, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Who was the disciplinary officer? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Mr.^McVay—Lieutenant-Commander Mc- 
Vay. 

The Chairman. M hat do you think of hazing as a system, Mr. 
Garcelon ? Do ^mu think some benefits arise to the under class men, 
the lower class men, by means of it? 

Midshipm.an Garcelon. I think it did me good; -yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What did you good? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Tlie being kept down by the upper class 
men, when I was a plebe, or when I first came here 

The Chairman. You say you were kept down. What might you 
have done if you had not been hazed? To what heights might you 
have climbed? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, if I had not had somebody, as I say, 
to keep me down, I might have come in here and tried to think 1 was 
a fii’st class man, and run around the yard thinking I was about ^Gt.” 
I might have done that, sir. 

The Chairman. Were those your characteristics? Were you a 
little inclined to be bumptious and self-conceited? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; but getting in with 150 other 
fellows, I might have done that, sir. But more than that, the upper 
class men kept me braced up all the time, sir. 

The Chairman. That is, they gave you a military carriage? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. Of course I would have had 
enough pride about me to try to stand up, anyway, but the upper 
class men kept at mm all the time. If I got tired I would get braced 
up just the same. 

The Chairman. Were you stood on your head some when 3mu 
were a freshman? 

Midshipman Garcelon. A good deal; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What particular benefit do ^mu think you got 
from that exercise? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know of any physical benefit 
atall,sir. 

The Chairman. Was there an}^ benefit of snij kind? 

Midshipmian Garcelon. It showed me, as 1 say, that I did not 
amount to very much here. 

The Chairman. It kept you humble in spirit? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; it miade me know there was 
somebody over me. 

The Chairman. It kept you from getting haughty and arrogant? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where you might have taken comn:and of the 
academy. Do you think you were disposed to do that, if they^ had 
not stood you on your head occasional^, and made ^mu go through 
these exercises, to teach you a sense of your insignificance? Do 
you think there was danger of 3mur assuming to be too much? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not think I would have; no, sir. 

The Chairman. Then in your particular case you do not think 
there was any dangef that you would have become arrogant? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You come from the land of steady habits, where 


272 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


your ancestors for generations were accustomed to plod along without 
needing a man to hang onto the bit too hard. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You never had tp perform any of these menial 
services, of taking care of rooms, and all that? 

Midshipm^an Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you ever sent under the table in your term 
here? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was that beneficial to you? 

Midsliipman Garcelon. No, sir; because I went without my 
dessert every time I went under. 

The Chairman. Is it rather humiliating for a young man, an 
American, to get under the table at sorrefbody's nod or beck? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I donT think so, sir, if it is all done in 
the right spirit. 

The Chairman. What spirit is that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The spirit of fun. 

The Chairman. It is fun to go under the table and eat your dinner 
there, is it? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. But I remember one case. I 
had to tell a story, and I told it. It really had a good point to it, 
and they all laughed a great deal over it; but one man said he could 
not see any point to the story, and with that he put me under the 
table and told me to find the point down there. I was not humil¬ 
iated at all, sir, at that. 

The Chairman. Were you ever sent under the table at home? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you ever been out taking dinner, before 
you came to the academy, when you were sent under the table? 

Midshipman Garcelon. IS[o, sir. 

The Chairman. That practice does not develop up in Maine much, 
does, it? 

Midshipm.an Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. What would be the op nion up in the town where 
you live, about sending folks under the table ? Would it be approved 
of there, or would that be considered as a practice which might be 
properly left out? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It would not be approved of; no, sir. 

The Chairman. You have been a cadet officer, I suppose, during 
your term here ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Which do you think is the more important, the 
rules which the boys set up for their own government or amusement, 
or whatever it may be here, or the laws of the United States? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The laws of the United States, sir. 

The Chairman. You think they should have preference? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do boys coming into the school here make any 
promises with relation to obeying the laws of the United States and 
the regulations of the academy? ^ 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not remember what it was, sir, that 
I promised to do when I came in here. 

The Chairman. Is there not an oath required of every boy admit¬ 
ted to this academy? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


273 


Midshipman Garcelon. As I remember it, there is an oath to 
uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. When did you first know that the statute law of 
the United States forbids any form of hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In that case when three first class men 
were dismissed, sir. 

The Chairman. That was last year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It was in 1904, I think, sir. 

The Chairman. Is it generally known among the third class men 
that the statute law of the country forbids hazing, in addition to the 
regulations of the academy? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is known now; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Has it been generally known before these cases 
came up, or was it supposed that it was a regulation of the academy— 
one of the rules? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I did not know about it until the three 
first class men were dismissed at that time. 

The Chairman. You were then in your second year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; I was then in "my second year. 

The Chairman. You were in the third class? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In the third class; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. During your freshman year, when these young 
men were hazing you, you did not know they were committing offenses 
against the laws of the United States? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You supposed they were off’enses against the rules 
of the academy ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You think that general^ that is true among the 
fourth class men, that they are not familiar with the fact that it is 
the statute law of the country ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think they are familiar with it now, sir. 

The Chairman. You think they are at present? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; and they have been since those 
three were dismissed. 

The Chairman. Since you came in as a fourth class man—say dur¬ 
ing your first two years at the academy—did any of the officials at the 
institution upon any occasion point out to you that it was a violation 
of the act of Congress to haze ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Not that I know of, sir. 

The Chairman. The disciplinary officers give you from time to 
time in the under classes talks, do they not, about the regulations ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Don’t they to the freshmen who come in? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think they started this year to do it. 

The Chairman. That has been started recently? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think so, sir. 

The Chairman. That is something new, then, in the discipline 
here ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It must be, because they did not do it 
when I was a freshman. 

The Chairman. Both of those books and regulations are in each 
room ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-18 


274 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Do not the boys read them over more or less? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is not in the book that the offense of 
hazing is classified as 100 demerits, but most everybody, or some of 
them, believe that if they got caught it would be 100 demerits for it. 

The Chairman. They do not know that there is such a law in the 
country as this: 

That the superintendent of the Naval Academy shall make such rules, to be approved by 
the Secretary of the Navy, as will effectually prevent the practice of hazing; and any cadet 
found guilty of participating in or encouraging or countenancing such practice shall be sum¬ 
marily expelled from the academy, and shall not thereafter be appointed to the Corps of 
Cadets or be eligible for appointment as a commissioned officer in the Army or Navy or 
Marine Corps until two years after the graduation of the class of wh’ch he was a member. 

Do you think the midshipmen generally were not familiar with that 
law requiring that they be summarily dismissed from the academy if 
they were proven guilty of hazing in any form ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think so in the last two years, sir, since 
those three were dismissed. 

The Chairman. But not before that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I don’t think so; no, sir. 

The Chairman. You took the last examination here? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you pass? Were you above the minimum 
amount required? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, any objection which may be made to your 
graduation by the authorities would be upon the lines of conduct, and 
not upon your studies? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It would be upon the lines of the charges 
which they claim they have against me; hazing, sir. 

The Chairman. That would refer to conduct, and conduct would 
mean anything? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It would refer to conduct and not to your defi¬ 
ciency in studies? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Has your treatment by the naval officers in this 
institution since you have been here as a student been fair and impar¬ 
tial so far as you can tell as to your examinations, as to marking exam¬ 
ination papers and the reports made upon you for infractions of any 
kind of the regulations, and demerits imposed therefor? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think they have been* entirely fair as 
regards my studies and as regards reporting me for things I have done 
against the regulations. But I have thought several times that I did 
not deserve to get demerits for certain things. 

The Chairman. For the reason that you did not commit the viola¬ 
tion, or what? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Well, to give you a specific example: One 
morning I was absent from breakfast formation and I was reported, 
which is all right, and by the regulations I have a right to put in an 
excuse. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Garcelon. I said I did not wake up; I did not hear 
reveille, and my room was not inspected as the other rooms were 
inspected. My room was not inspected, and as I did not wake up 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 275 

until after formation, I do not think I ought to get demerits for it. 
But I did just the same. 

The Chairman. You think because of the fact that you did not 
waken they ^should not have given you demerits? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think the fact that my room was not 
inspected by the midshipman on duty, sir, should have relieved me. 

The Chairman. The rooms are not all inspected every day, are 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; in the morning they are required 
to be inspected. 

The Chairman. Every room every day? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are you sure about that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; every morning after reveille they 
are inspected to see that the occupants are turned out. 

The Chairman. Our information from the disciplinary officers is 
that they are not all inspected every day; that there are too many of 
them; that they are all inspected, for example, every week, but not 
all every morning. 

Midshipman Garcelon. You must mean the forenoon inspection 
for neatness of rooms—during the forenoon? 

The Chairman. The 10 o’clock inspection for disorder, or anything 
in the room. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes; but what I mean is this daily in¬ 
spection just after reveille; before breakfast. 

Mr. Dawson. Who makes that inspection? 

^lidshipman Garcelon. The company officers, sir. 

The Chairman. The cadet officers? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The cadet officers of each company, to 
see that each man is turned out. 

The Chairman. Is there any provision for waking a man up in the 
morning? 

Midshipman Garcelon. They are supposed to see that you are 
turned out, and if you are not turned out they are supposed to turn 
you out. 

The Chairman. What is this reveille that is sounded in the 
morning ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is a bugle call, sir. 

The Chairman. But you did not wake up that morning; you did 
not hear the bugle call ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And you received a demerit. Suppose you had 
not wakened up next morning. The excuse given by you for the 
morning before would be just as good the next morning? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Suppose you did not wake up the next morning. 
Would the excuse still stand? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; if my room was not inspected. 

The Chairman. Then, according to your theory, it is the duty of 
somebody to come around and wake you up and get you out? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. ^ , 

The Chairman. Is that the understanding of the officials of the 
academy, that a man must be awakened in the morning, in addition to 
the general signal that is given? 


276 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Garcelon. It is the understanding that the room 
must be inspected. 

The Chairman. Well, that is the duty of somebody else. I am 
talking about your duty. Is it not supposed to be your duty to hear 
the bugle call in the morning and get up, without assistance from 
somebody else? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And if you fail to do so it is an infraction? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. If the cadet officer fails to inspect the room, that is 
an infraction on his part, and something that he is entitled to a 
demerit for ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. If the excuse was accepted that a midshipman did 
not hear the bugle call and did not wake up, do you not think that 
practice would increase to an alarming extent after a little? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; because the room must be in¬ 
spected. 

The Chairman. But you keep getting away to somebody else’s 
duty. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Oh, I see what you mean now. 

The Chairman. It is your duty to hear the bugle call and get up? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And it is some other midshipman’s duty to in¬ 
spect your room? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It is not, I assume, for the purpose of going 
around to wake you up. It is his duty. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. If you did not hear the bugle and did not get up 
that is an infraction of the rules of the academy? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then, properly, what is the demerit? One de¬ 
merit ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Ten demerits. 

The Chairman. Ten demerits for failing to hear the bugle and 
failing to get up ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Ten demerits for being absent from 
breakfast formation. 

The Chairman. Oh, yes. Do you not think that inflicting de¬ 
merits on cadets for failing to wake up when the bugle sounds in the 
morning is apt to assist them in waking up the next morning ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not see how it can, sir. 

The Chairman. Waking up, you know, is largely a matter of 
habit. A man who is accustomed to it will sleep with the most tre¬ 
mendous noise around him, and the moment the noise stops he is 
awakened, whereas a man trained differently can only sleep where 
it is quiet, and any noise will waken him. So it is largely a matter 
of habit about waking up in the morning. If it is impressed .upon 
your mind that you must waken at the bugle call you are very likely 
to do so after a little while. How many times have you failed to 
hear the bugle? 

Midshipman Garcelon. This year, sir, I have heard the bugle 
about a dozen times. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 277 

The Chairman. Ordinarily you depend on the morning inspec¬ 
tion to waken you? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. * 

The Chairman.* You have come to rely on that instead of the 
bugle ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Always, sir. 

The Chairman. Hearing the bugle, then, was simply incidental? 
You didn’t rely on it? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. So that in case the inspection did not take place 
you were left defenseless? Your mind did not work at the bugle 
call? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose the intention of the disciplinary,officers 
was to impress upon the minds of the cadets that the bugle call was 
their signal and not the inspection. Well, that you think is an 
instance where you received marks that were unjust? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That is my personal opinion, sir. I 
may be wrong. 

The Chairman. Were there any other of your demerits that you 
thought were wrong? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not remember of any case, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know how many you have received up to 
the present time this year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. 1 think I received seventy-four this year, 
sir, counting some on the cruise. 

The Chairman. That is the total? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir., 

The Chairman. That is hardly up to half of the maximum amount 
permitted to first class men, is it? You are permitted 150 for the 
year, are you not? 

Midshipman Garcelon. One hundred and fifty are allowed. 

The Chairman. So you are still below 50 per cent of it? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I will ask you some questions along this line. 
Do you think, on the whole, hazing as you now see it is a good prac¬ 
tice to keep in the academy? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; I do not, sir. 

The Chairman. While in some instances some benefits might 
come to some particular lower class man, do you not think that 
inevitably as a result in the end it leads to great abuses and excesses ? 

Midshipman Garcelon.- Yes, sir; it certainly does. 

The Chairman. Which more than offset any possible advantage 
that might come out of it ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman.. Is that the opinion of your classmates generally, 
after watching the developments here of the last few months ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I believe it is; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do any of you gentlemen wish to take up any 
other lines? 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask one question. What is the 
opinion of the second class men with reference to hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I have talked with several of them, and 
they seem to think it ought to be stamped out. 


278 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Padgett. And of the third class. Have you any informa¬ 
tion as to them ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Those with whom I have talked say it 
ought to be stamped out. 

Mr. Padgett. And when you get down to the fourth class man, 
who has never had an opportunity to haze anybody, but who has 
been taking it himself, what is his opinion about it? 

ilidshipman Garcelon. I have not dared to talk to any fourth 
class men, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You have not talked with any fourth class men? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No. 

Mr. Padgett. You said you had not dared to talk with them. 
Would it be a violation of the rules for a first class man to talk with 
fourth class men ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; but just now I donT think I 
ought to be seen talking with any fourth class man. 

Mr. Padgett. It is not against the regulations? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. It is a question of propriety? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. There is no rule of the academy forbidding free 
intercourse between fourth and first Class men specially, is there? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you seen anything in the conduct of the dis¬ 
cipline officers of the academy during the present school year which 
would lead you to think they might have been cognizant of these 
hazing practices that were going on to such a great extent ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, ^ir. 

Mr. Dawson. State them, please. 

Midshipman Garcelon. I can give you the evidence that I gave 
in the court-mdrtial as a witness in Mr. Mayo’s case. 

The Chairman. In relation to Lieutenant Snyder? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. We have that. Do you know anything else? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Then, again, I remember one morning 
that Mr. Snyder came out of the mess hall. During September we 
had the mess hall in the basement. He came out there before the 
midshipmen did, and the fourth class men came out, and of course 
by rate they walk up the staircase on the side by the wall. He stood 
there and laughed at them. He said, ‘ ‘What are you walking up 
there for, up against the wall?” or something to that effect. They 
turned around and went out in the middle of the staircase and went 
up. He stood there for a few minutes and went into the office. 

The Chairman. That is a rate? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; that is simply a rate. There 
was no running or hazing about it. 

The Chairman. I suppose everybody is familiar with the rates, 
because they take place out in the open—a good many of them ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. But the Snyder incident is the only one you know 
of of this kind during the present school year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is the only instance where I was pres¬ 
ent. But I have heard of cases of other officers during the year see- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 279 

ing hazing going on, but of course I could not swear whether it was 
true or not. 

Mr. Dawson. Will you give us all the evidence you can in those 
particulars ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I can give you what I heard at the time, 
sir. 

The Chairman . W e understand that it is simply hearsay. Proceed. 

Midshipman Garcelon. There was a rumor that one of the offi¬ 
cers walked into a room one ni^ht and there were some upper class 
men making fourth class men do stunts. He said, ‘‘What are you 
doing in here?” One of the upper class men said, “We are hazing, 
sir.” He told them all to go into their rooms, and that is all that 
was done to them. 

The Chairman. Do you know who that officer was, according to 
current reports? 

Midshipman Garcelon. According to current reports, Mr. Wiley, 
sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know whose room it was? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know about when it was? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think it was the first of this year—the 
first of this academic year. 

The Chairman. That would be sometime in October. 

Midshipman Garcelon. October or November; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know who were present on that occasion? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I know one midshipman. That is, as I 
say, I know by rumor that he was there. 

The Chairman. He was reputed to be present. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; that was Midshipman Shea, of 
the second class. 

The Chairman. Does rumor give the boy’s room in which it took 
place, as well as the rest of it? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know of any other instances of a similar 
character? 

Midshipman Garcelon, May I look at my book just a minute, sir? 

The Chairman. Yes, sir. 

(The witness referred to a memorandum.) 

Mr. Padgett. Is Midshipman Shea here now? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is his class? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The second class, the present senior class, 
sir. I do not remember of anything happening this year, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Nothing else that would lead you to think that the 
officers were cognizant of hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Nothing this year. There were several 
cases last year. 

Mr. Dawson. I would be very glad if you would tell this committee 
what instances of this character you can think of that occurred during 
the last academic year. 

Midshipman Garcelon. There was an officer on duty last year 
that made an inspection one morning- 

Mr. Padgett. Give us the names as you go on. 



280 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Garcelon. Mr. Buchanan. I can not swear to this, 
sir, whether it is true or not. 

Mr. Dawson. It is the current understanding? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It is rumor? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. He was making an inspection 
of corridors, simply walking around the corridors, and he saw five or six 
fourth class men come out of one room, early in the morning. He 
went in and it seemed that this third class man had five or six fourth 
class men to wake him up. One was a rooster, and one was a guinea 
hen, and so on and so forth. He asked this third class man about it, 
and then he said, “When I was in here one fourth class man was 
enough to wake me up,’' and he said “You had better get rid of five 
of them.” 

Mr. Dawson. What I want to get at particularly with reference to 
the last academic year is what the general understanding was among 
the boys with regard to the attitude of the officers of the academy in 
relation to the practices of running. The classes having entered into 
an agreement with Superintendent Brownson not to indulge in 
physical hazing, was it your understanding or was it the general 
understanding that no serious cognizance would be taken of the prac¬ 
tice of running? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was the understanding; yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know whether any considerable number 
were given demerits for practicing running on fourth class men during 
the last academic year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know of a single case, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. The students, then, understood that having pledged 
themselves not to indulge in physical hazing, the officers would not 
raise any serious objections against the practices of running. Was 
that your understanding? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. I should say it was. 

Mr. Gregg. Along that same line, what has been the impression 
of the boys as to hazing here up to the time this investigation was 
begun? Did they have any impression as to whether it was very 
objectionable to the management? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I believe I can say for myself that I 
thought the officers must know that there was a little, and I knew 
it had been going on for years. 

The Chairman. That is, running? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You had pledges that you would not haze? 

Midshipman Garcelon. To Superintendent Brownson; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. I am speaking of the present academic year ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. From October 15 to December 12? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes. During this academic year—since they all came 
back and entered here in October—what has been the impression 
among the boys here as to the purpose of the management as to 
stopping or permitting hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. There has been nothing to stop it, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Was any instruction given to any of you about^’not 
perrnitting it or reporting it, or anything of that kind? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


281 


Mf.Gregg. Have you been a midshipman officer during this present 
year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Were you given any instructions in regard to reporting 
any hazing or offenses of hazing which you might see? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Not until very lately, sir; not until we 
took that action—that we would report every infraction we found. 

Mr. Gregg. Were your instructions given to you before you took 
that action or after you took that action? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It was understood with that action that 
hazing was one of the infringements that we would report. 

Mr. Gregg. Meaning the action that the class itself took? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But prior to your taking that action had any instruc¬ 
tion been given to you relative to the reporting of hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. When was it that Admiral Sands or the com¬ 
mandant called the class men up and told them- 

Mr. Dawson. The cadet officers. 

Mr. Gregg. Called the cadet officers up and instructed them that 
they must report every infraction of the law, including hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I should say that was about six weeks ago. 

Mr. Gregg. About six weeks ago was the first time that was done? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Then, from the beginning of the academic year up to 
that time, no instructions were given to you as to reporting hazing 
or preventing hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Were you all called up and individually lectured or 
instructions given you about your general duties prior to that time? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Word came to our class presidents from 
the superintendent that he wanted us to take the action that we 
would report everything. 

Mr. Gregg. When was that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was, as I say about six weeks ago. 

Mr. Gregg. But prior to that time? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Had you all been called together and instructed to 
report hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Prior to that time had you been called together and 
given any instruction or lecture about your general duties? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. That was before or after the Meriwether fight? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was afterwards—after the Meri¬ 
wether fight. 

Mr. Gregg. What, if anything, prior to that time was done to 
prevent hazing here that you know of by way of making rules or 
regulations ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know of anything. 

Mr. Gregg. How many discipline officers were in charge here last 
year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think there were about six, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Six last year? 



282 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Garcelon. I think so, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Who were they? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The names, sir? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes, sir. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Gelm, Mr. Pope— 
I can not remember who they were, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What were their duties, or what duties did they per¬ 
form last year, as compared with the duties performed by the four this 
year? Were they the same or different; and if so, explain wherein 
they differ. 

Midshipman Garcelon. They were exactly the same except that 
now each one of these officers has the assigning of demerits and the 
granting of requests to his division. 

Mr. Gregg. Last year they did not have that ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. So the duties performed were exactly the same with 
that exception ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. With that exception; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. About their presence in the building where the 
cadets were. How did that compare with this year? Was it the 
same as this year or different ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. They were in the buildings, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Just the same as they are this year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Was there one on charge every day? 

Midshipman Garcelon. One in charge each day; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Each one had an office in the building, did he ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir; one general office for all of them. 

Mr. Gregg. Have they all got separate offices this year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I want to pursue a little further the statement with 
reference to the transactions of the last academic year. You stated 
a little while ago that you knew of several instances this year where it 
was reported that these officers had knowledge or cognizance of 
hazing. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You mentioned the case of Mr. Buchanan. Mention 
the others please. 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is rumored that Mr. Geln walked into a 
room and a third class man was bracing up a plebe. He asked him 
what he was doing, and the third class man said, ‘‘Nothing, sir.” 
And he closed the door and went out. 

Mr. Padgett. What third class man was that and what plebe? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Mr. Libbey of the present second class and 
Mr. Kincaid of the present third class. 

Mr. Padgett. Who were the cadets involved in the Buchanan inci¬ 
dent? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know the fourth class men, but 
Mr. Davy of the second class was the one who had them report to his 
room. 

Mr. Padgett. Now mention the other incidents. 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know of any incidents where the 
officers caught people running, but they have threatened to do it. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 288 . 

The officers themselves have threatened to do it in the class rooms in 
the recitation rooms. 

Mr. Padgett. What do you mean by ‘‘They threatened to do itP’ 

Midshipman Garcelon. For instance, this year, a professor of 
mathematics- 

Mr. Padgett. Give us his name. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Professor Brown. He threatened to put 
the whole third class on their heads in the examination room. 

Mr. Dawson. The third class? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. For what purpose? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I dontT know, sir. I think they made a 
little mite too much noise, or something, in the examination room. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any other instances? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I know of an instance this year where an 
officer made a first class man stand at attention and “fin out,” which 
is one form of running. 

Mr. Pagett. Do what ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Fin out, which consists in putting your 
little fingers on the seam of your trousers and holding your hands this 
way, sir [indicating]. Of course that is just a minor affair. 

Mr. Padgett. Is that part of the military discipline, or is it outside 
of the military discipline ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is outside of military discipline, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Is it a part of the military discipline, or of the school 
discipline, for a professor to put a class or any member of a class, on 
his head ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any other instances? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I can go back further than last year, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I do not know that it is necessary to go beyond last 
year. I would like to get all of last year, however. 

Mr. Gregg. When you say last year you mean this past year, or 
prior ? 

Mr. Padgett. He means last year; before this. 

Mr. Gregg. This is last year in one sense. 

Mr. Padgett. Oh, no; this is the present year. You say you 
know of instances prior to last year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I know of instances where officers have 
threatened to haze midshipmen, fourth class men. 

Mr. Padgett. Prior to last year? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Are those officers still connected with the academy? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. In any capacity? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. In what form was that threat? What was it they 
threatened to do, which you call hazing? 

Midshipman Garcelon. He threatened to put a man on his head in 
a corner of the room, of the recitation room, and at another time he 
was officer in charge, and he made a fourth class man take his hands 
off of the table. He wrote a note to this fourth class man and sent 
it down by the officer of the day, to take his hands off the table, to sit 
on the edge of his chair, and to brace up.’ « \ 



284 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Padgett. What officer was that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was Lieutenant McKean. 

Mr. Padgett. To take his hands off of the table was a proper 
direction, was it not? 

Midshipman Garcelon. It is a rate that the fourth class men shall 
not put their hands on the table. 

Mr. Padgett. Are the other classes permitted to put their hands on 
the table ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. It is not a violation of table etiquette or table manners 
to put the hands on the table ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Not to rest the hand lightly on the table. 

Mr. Padgett. Was this fourth class man resting his hand lightly 
on the table or severely ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. He was just resting his hand lightly on the 
table, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Was he resting his hand on the table in any way dif¬ 
ferently from the third, second, or first class men? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Some first, second, and third class men do 
more than he did, now. 

The Chairman. It was nothing out of the ordinary? 

Midshipmen Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You say it was nothing out of the ordinary? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And this professor then wrote him a note to take his 
hands off of the table, to sit on the edge of his chair, and to brace up ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. When was that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was during the summer of 1902. 

Mr. Padgett. Now, we will come back to last year. Do you know 
of any other instance during the last year than those you have men¬ 
tioned, which are common report? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not think of any; no, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. These that you speak of as being of common report, 
were they generally credited and accepted as true by the midshipmen ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir.. 

Mr. Padgett. Have you heard from the midshipmen such expres¬ 
sions of opinion generally as would warrant you in saying that it was 
commonly accepted as as a true rumor? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What reason would you give for this officer sending 
word down to the midshipman to take his hands off the table, sit on 
the edge of his chair, and brace up ? What was considered the pur¬ 
pose of it? 

Midshipman Garcelon. The reason, sir, is that it is a plebe’s rate, 
a fourth class man’s rate, to do those things, and if he sits back in his 
chair, he is breaking a rate. 

The Chairman. Were there not other fourth class men present? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were they all observing the rate. 

Midshipman Garcelon. I think they were, sir; yes, sir. He had 
just come into the academy, sir. 

The Chairman. This boy had? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; he had just entered. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 285 

The Chairman. All the others who had had experience were 
observing the rate? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The officer enforced it against him ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. It has been the general understanding, then, for sev¬ 
eral years back that the officers of the academy recognize this system 
of rates, has it ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is there anything else you wish to state to the 
committee, Mr. Garcelon, on any subject? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Mr. Padgett was asking me if I knew of 
any other instances of officers knowing about running and winking 
at it. There was a case of what might be called official hazing. 

Mr. Dawson. When was this? 

Midshipman Garcelon. That was last spring, sir. 

The Chairman. Tell us about it. 

Midshipman Garcelon. The fourth class men, you know, have 
dancing lessons, and the officer of the day is supposed to go down 
there and keep order. He could not keep order, and the superin¬ 
tendent, happening to walk in, saw the fourth class men- 

The Chairman. The superintendent of cadets? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; the superintendent of the acad¬ 
emy. He saw the fourth class men there raising a disturbance, and 
he ordered that they should go to the armory every afternoon and 
that a first class man should go down there to put them through 
physical exercises. They did go down there, officially, and he made 
them go through the sixteenth, I believe, 250 times, or something 
like that, and other physical exercises. That was kept up for about 
a week, sir. 

The Chairman. What month was that? 

Midshipman Garcelon. 'I should say it was last February or 
March, sir. I do not remember the exact time, sir. 

The Chairman. About a year ago ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. How long did you say that lasted ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. For a week it was kept up, every after¬ 
noon. 

The Chairman. They were first class men who were sent down with 
them? The class that just graduated? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir; they have gone out. 

The Chairman. Were you sent down with them? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Was Mr. Roberts or Mr. Hayes? 

Midshipman Garcelon. I do not know whether Mr. Roberts was 
or not, sir. They were senior class men, sir, I should have said— 
senior class men. 

The Chairman. That were sent with them? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The class that just graduated? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do Mr. Roberts or Mr. Hayes, do you know, 
know about this occurrence? 

Midshipman Garcelon. They probably know about it, sir, but I 
do not know whether they were down there or not. 



286 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. That was Admiral Brownson who noticed this 
disorder ? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes^ sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask a question in connection with 
that. Were the things which the first class men were directed to 
cause these fourth class men to do in the armory included in the 
military drill or discipline, or were they things outside? 

Midshipman Garcelon. They were included in the drill, but this 
drill includes the exercise known as the sixteenth. 

Mr. Padgett. So that the things they did were in the drill? 

Midshipman Garcelon. In the tactics; yes, sir. • 

Mr. Padgett. Everything they did was in the tactics? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. They were then directed by the superintendent to 
go through the drill under the supervision of these first class men for 
a week’s time? 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Were they cadet officers, or just senior class men? 

Midshipman Garcelon. They were cadet petty officers. I know 
one man; I think he was a cadet officer at that time, sir. They were 
men who happened to be on duty that day. They changed every day. 

The Chairman. You stated that this was official hazing. 

Midshipman Garcelon. That is the name I applied to it, sir. I 
am probably wrong in saying that. 

The Chairman. Hazing is the infliction of these exercises as pun¬ 
ishment, or for other reasons, by unauthorized authority. This 
seems to have been authorized by proper authority. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And included no exercises except those named in 
the manual of the academy. 

Midshipman Garcelon. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not know of anything being required of 
them outside of these regular exercises? 

Midshipman Garcelon. No, sir. 

The Chairman. That is all, Mr. Garcelon. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN WILLIAM PARSONS HAYES, XT. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman William Parsons Hayes, having been first duly 
sworn, testified as follows; 

The Chairman. Give the stenographer your full name, please. 

Midshipman Hayes. William Parsons Hayes. 

The Chairman. What State were you appointed from? 

Midshipman Hayes. Kentucky, sir. 

The Chairman. You are now under detention, under charges of 
some sort which are unknown to you ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I want to say to you that it is not our purpose to 
inquire into that at all, unless you wish to volunteer information in 
relation to it to the committee. We are inquiring into the d scipline 
and management of the academy generally, especially as it relates to 
hazing, and we ask no information of you which would tend to 
incriminate yourself as to any charge which may be preferred against 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


287 


you. If such a question is inadvertently asked, it will be stricken 
from the evidence when it is reported, so you may feel free to answer 
any questions. You belong to the class the majority of which just 
graduated within a few days past ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you hazed during your first year here? 
That would be 1902, would it? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir; the class was, and I was with the 
class. 

The Chairman. They were generally hazed, I suppose? 

Midshipman Hayes. They were generally hazed at that time. 

The Chairman. The treatment was impartial among them? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did the hazing during your first year, which you 
received, correspond closely to the hazing which now prevails? Was 
it about the same sort of practice? 

Midshipman Hayes. They were similar practices, sir; but they 
were worse than they are now. They were harder. 

The Chairman. They were worse on the average? 

Midshipman Hayes. On the average I think they were; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose no one during your fourth class year 
was hazed harder than Mr. Kimbrough, for example ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Well, I think there were some that quite 
nearly approached that, sir, only they managed to take care of them 
all right. 

The Chairman. Were there any expulsions for hazing, of upper 
class men, during your freshman year ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; there were not. 

The Chairman. Or any punishments inflicted for it during that 
year? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Any trials? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; no trials. 

The Chairman. Neither by the superintendent nor in any other 
way for it ? 

Midsliipman Hayes. No, sir. The only thing that occurred then, 
sir, was that case of Blasdel and Pearson, the man who had his jaw 
broken. 

The Chairman. In a fight? 

Midshipman Hayes. In a fight. 

The Chairman. Between an upper class man and a fourth class 
man ? 

Midshipman Hayes. A fourth class man and a third class man. 

The Chairman. What was done in that case? 

Midshipman Hayes. I donT know. Blasdel got some demerits 
for it. 

The Chairman. But he was not expelled? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. That was more in the way of a class fight? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; it was more personal than class. 
Pearson had trouble with a man who was too heavy to take the matter 
up, and so Blasdel was selected to take it up. 

The Chairman. That is a class fight? 

Midshipman Hayes. That would be a class fight then, I guess. 
Yes, sir. 


288 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chaikman. It would be strictly a class fight ? Did that grow 
out of hazing, rating, or what ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Directly from hazing, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose the fourth class man was insubordinate? 

Midshipman Hayes. He was at the time on his head at the old 
roundhouse that used to be in the rear of the old quarters, and he 
did what is called ^'knocked off running’’ at that very time. He 
was going to be dismissed anyway for studies, on account of being 
deficient, so he took this inopportune moment to knock off running. 
A great many words passed back and forth and it finally wound up 
in this fight. 


The Chairman. The upper class man considered that he was 
bound to submit to the traditional treatment as long as he was here ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I don’t know that, sir. They took the stand 
that he took the wrong time to discontinue running. 

The Chairman. The term ‘‘hazing” as understood in your fresh¬ 
man year was about the same as it is now? 

Midshipman Hayes. No; the term itself has an entirely different 
meaning now. The accepted meaning now includes everything 
possible. Then it only included physical exercises and the like. 
We drew a distinction between hazing and running. 

The Chairman. And the performance of service for upper class 
men? 

Midshipman Hayes. That did not come under either head, at all. 

The Chairman. That is by itself? 

Midshipman Hayes. Then there was very little of it, because we 
plebes lived entirely in two annexes and the upper class men, or 
third class, lived in the old quarters—the old main building. 

The Chairman. You were not so located that you could perform 
much personal service for them ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You could not bring up meals, because you did 
not go to their quarters ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, su\ 

The Chairman. The term hazing, as it is understood now, includes 
all of those forms of involuntary performance of anything ? 

Midshipman Hayes. As I understand it. 

The Chairman. That is, that are not authorized? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. This running, as you call it, not including the 
physical exercises, prevailed wlule you were a freshman ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It prevailed in your third year? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In your second year? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And in your first year? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was there any special difference between the 
vears, or has the amount of it been about the same while you have 
been here? 

Midshipman Hayes. About the same. 

The Chairman. Under your agreement with Admiral Brownson 
to stop physical hazing, did not the forms of running increase some¬ 
what? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


289 


Midshipman Hayes. I can not say that it did, sir. 

The Chairman. It was about the same? 

Mdshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many fights do you think have occurred in 
the academy during your service here ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I have no idea. 

The Chairman. Twenty? 

Midshipman Hayes. More than that. 

The Chairman. Thirty, forty? 

Midshipinan Hayes. I should say a good deal more than that. I 
would not like to say the number. 

The Chairman. I understand that you are just giving a guess at 
it. Would you say forty or fifty would cover it? 

Midshipman Hayes. I should think it would for the four years; 
yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Assuming that fifty fights have occurred in the 
last four years, what would be your offhand opinion as to the number 
that were class fights out of the fifty? 

Midshipman Hayes. I should say possibly five or six, sir. 

The Chairman. Some have occurred every year since you have 
been here? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir; every year. 

The Chairman. Class fights are held for the purpose of enforcing 
■ submission either to hazing or to running or practices of some kind, 
of that description ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Not necessarily, sir. It may be for the pur¬ 
pose of resenting an insult that can not be taken up because of too 
much difference in the size of the two principals, and they pick 
another man for that. 

The Chairman. Do you mean to say that if a fourth class man has 
a personal difference of some kind with a third class man, that some 
other man could be substituted besides the parties to the controversy ? 

Midshipman Hayes. If there is too great a difference in the size 
and weight, they may substitute a man if they wish to. 

The Chairman. Some disinterested midshipman may be assigned 
to the duty of fighting a boy, although he may have no trouble with 
him? 

Midshipman Hayes. He may. 

The Dawson. Is the same thing true as between third and second 
class men? 

Midshipman Hayes. It would hold there, too 

Mr. Dawson. Between all classes ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes; all the way through. 

The Chairman. The differences between fourth class men and 
upper class men are rarely of a personal nature, are they? Do they 
not almost invariably grow out of the hazing or running system ? 

Midshipman Hayes. As to that, I don’t know, sir. 

The Chairman. You of course know, Mr. Hayes, that class fighting 
is the instrument by which hazing and running are enforced ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What class were you in when an agreement was 
first made with Admiral Brownson whereby the bo 3 ^s gave their 
word that they would not prac tee physical hazing? 

Midshipman Hayes. The third class, sir. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-19 


290 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Was the understanding made through the presi¬ 
dent of your class ? It came to the balance of the class tlirougn the 
president of the class? 

Midshipman Hayes. Through a committee of three. 

The Chairman. A committee appointed for that purpose? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir; by the class. 

The Chairman. The committee met the Admiral in person? 

Midshipman Hayes. The commandant, sir. They told the com¬ 
mandant the result of it. 

The Chairman. Were they to have some extra privileges along 
some other lines as an equivalent for giving their word of honor as 
to abstaining from physical hazing ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. No equivalent was given for it? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. We had heard that they had some privileges as to 
going out at certain times, and certain other things, which were to be 
m lieu of physical hazing. Did you know anything of that ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No; nothing like that was said to us. 

The Chairman. Suppose your class did not agree to it? What 
was the alternative? 

Midshipman Hayes. Well, on the mechanical drawing list of that 
year, the first one, opposite the list of sections, there were locker 
numbers marked on there. The only interpretation we put on that 
was that we would be assigned to billets on the Chesa'peake, which 
was lying on the Santee dock, and be quartered there as a class until 
we agreed to give this promise. The meeting was held up in the old 
quarters. Lieutenant-Commander Foyer, the aide at the time, came 
up there and made a little address and told us he would give us 
fifteen minutes to discontinue the practice of hazing, and we could 
report to the commandant the result of it by a committee, which 
was done. 

The Chairman. In your freshman year did you receive instruc¬ 
tions of lectures of any kind from the disciplinary officers in relation 
to hazing? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. Then we had six or seven discipline 
officers that came on every day in rotation. 

The Chairman. When you were in your freshman year did you 
understand that the rule against hazing was an act of Congress or 
simply a regulation of the academy? 

Midshipman Hayes. Well, I don’t remember how we did look at 
it, sir, or how I did. 

The Chairman. When did you first know it was the statute law 
of the country? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think it was first brought to the notice of 
the midshipmen in general when three of the midshipmen—Little, 
Chaffee, and Laughlin—were dismissed. 

The Chairman. At the b^inning of the school year in September 
or October were the cadet officers brought together and instructed as 
to their duties by the commandant of cadets or any other officials ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not remember any such instruction, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you remember of such instruction having been 
given at any time during the present school year? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I do not. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


291 


The Chairman. Were you a cadet officer? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I am a cadet petty officer. 

The Chairman. So that you might not have been included? 

Midshipman Hayes. I might not have been. 

The Chairman. It did not come to your knowledge that after the 
Branch-Meriwether fight the class officers were called together and 
instructed ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I do not recall anything of that. 

The Chairman. You understand that your agreement with Ad¬ 
miral ^rownson referred to physical hazing only? 

Midshipman Hayes. That was the interpretation. 

The Chairman. That was the understanding with Lieutenant 
Badger and the officials? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The practice of running, then, was understood 
and countenanced by the officials? 

Midshipman Hayes. I can not say that. 

The Chairman. What is your understanding about it, or the under¬ 
standing of your classmates ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Nothing was ever said about it one way or 
the other. That word “run,’’ as I recall it, was not brought up by 
the superintendent at all. He simply took the term as hazing. The 
midshipmen quibbled and tried to get around it so that running would 
be allowable, but as to whether they gained it or not I never knew. 

The Chairman. You never knew of an instance where running, or 
hazing as now interpreted, came to the knowledge of one of the offi¬ 
cials—one of the disciplinary officers? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. During the year preceding the present one? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I do not. Last year there was no 
hazing, sir. 

The Chairman. I say, as it is now interpreted, which includes 
everything. 

Midshipman Hayes. Oh. 

The Chairman. There was no physical hazing last year? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you know of instances last year of boys being 
sent under the table in the mess room ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. What do you call sitting on the edge of a chair—a 
rate or running? < 

Midshipman Hayes. That is a custom. 

The Chairman. What was it last year—running? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; that was merely to brace the plebe 
up and give him square shoulders. You mean at the table, to sit in 
this position [indicating]? 

The Chairman. Yes; and he was obliged to keep his hands off of 
the table, I suppose? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That was to serve some good purpose. Wliat was 
that? 

Midshipman Hayes. I suppose that would come under the head 
of running, sir. 

The Chairman. Sitting on the edge of the chair was for his benefit. 


292 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


For whose benefit was it to keep his hands off of the table? What 
was that thrown in for—for good measure? 

Midshipman Hayes. I suppose that was throv/n in for good meas¬ 
ure, sir. 

The Chairman. How w^as your standing in studies as the result 
of the examination? 

Midshipman Hayes. No. 36 for the four years’ course. 

The Chairman. That would be your number, 36 in the class? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes. 

The Chairman. Then in your examination you are entitled to 
graduate, being above the minimum allowance? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your detention relates solely to some charge 
against your conduct? 

Midshipman Hayes. Absolutely. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any partiality that has been 
shown in conducting the examinations or marking the papers ? Has 
anything been called to your attention? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. • 

The Chairman. Do you know of any discrimination being shown 
by disciplinary officers in the assignment of demerits or in reporting 
misconduct of any kind? Has it been, on the whole, fair, or has it 
savored of favoritism? 

Midshipman Hayes. This year it has been right to the mark. 
They have stuck very close to the regulation book this year. 

The Chairman. What would you say about the preceding school 
year—last year? 

Midshipman Hayes. During Admiral Brownson’s administration, 
sir, the punishments would gradually increase. If two men would 
do practically the same thing the last man would get a little greater 
punishment than the first one. 

The Chairman. How do you account, Mr. Hayes, for the fact that, 
during the part of the present school year preceding the Branch- 
Meriwether fight, the system of discipline here had practically broken 
down in this: That the cadet officers failed to report these violations, 
both of the regulations and of the law ? 

Midshipman Hayes. It is just the custom of the place, sir. 

The Chairman. Then it was not a sudden breakdown; it was 
something that had existed before? 

Midshipman Hayes. It had; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The failure»to report violations, then, existed dur¬ 
ing the last year as well as the present? 

Midshipman Hayes. Do you mean that to include all violations of 
regulations, sir? 

The Chairman. Well, especially all hazing practices. 

Midshipman Hayes. There was no hazing last year, sir. 

The Chairman. Running existed last year in great abundance. 
Were any reports made last year of running? 

Midshipman Hayes. None, sir. 

The Chairman. Were other violations reported? 

Midshipman Hayes. To a great extent they were not, sir. 

The Chairman. Especially as against classmates? 

Midshipman Hayes. Decidedly so, sir. 

The Chairman. Then had it become rather a settled practice and 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


293 


understanding and code that the cadet officers should not report vio¬ 
lations against classmates? 

Midshipman Hayes. It had, provided they could do it with safety 
to themselves. 

The Chairman. And provided too much risk was not incurred 
thereby? 

Midshipman Hayes. Exactly, sir. 

The Chairman. The code of honor had grown up among the cadet 
officers in some way that it was their duty to protect their classmates 
if they could do it without too much risk, rather than to report these 
violations to the naval officers? 

Midshipman Hayes. Such practices had been in existence ever 
since I had been here, sir. I can not say that it has grown at all of 
late. It is the same thing. 

Mr. Padgett. How is it at the present time? 

Midshipman Hayes. With this class I can not say, but with my 
class, after the meeting they had with Captain Colvocoresses, there 
was no distinction allowed, but with the present class I do not know 
how they are, sir. 

The Chairman. Have cadet officers been appointed out of the 
present senior class? 

Midshipman Hayes. They have. 

The Chairman. You have no knowledge of how they are perform¬ 
ing their duty? 

Midshipman Hayes. Not the slightest, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Hayes, did you receive any benefit from the 
hazing which you received during your freshman year? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think physically I did. 

The Chairman. Did you get a considerable amount of physical 
exercise here? 

Midshipman Hayes. This hazing that I got was principally in the 
setting-up drill, just as it is laid down in the tactical books, and it 
develops the body. 

The Chairman. The amount of exercise that is given to the boys 
here, I suppose, is carefully considered by authorities upon athletics, 
including surgeons, and the men are given such an amount as is con¬ 
sidered fcst for their development. 

Midshipman Hayes. Well, you can only compare the physique of 
the classes to tell. That is the way. The classes that have gone 
before, as a general rule, are healthier, stronger men than the classes 
in the academy that have never been hazed. They are a great deal 
better set up. 

The Chairman. I should think standing on the head would make 
them round-shouldered. 

Midshipman Hayes. That practice is not indulged in to any great 
extent. It did not use to be when I was a fourth class man. 

The Chairman. It has come in lately? 

Midshipman Hayes. As to that I donT know, sir. 

The Chairman. The committee is better informed than you. We 
have heard of a great multitude of cases in the committee in which 
fourth class men have been required to stand on their heads 100, 200, 
300, 400 times. 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. If that is kept up week after week it 
will be detrimental; Wt the keeping up of the setting-up drill week 


294 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


after week is beneficial. For nearly two months and a half I got the 
setting-up drill three times a day. 

The Chairman. What did it consist of? 

Midshipman Hayes. The sixteenth, as they call it—the sixteenth 
exercise—and hanging up by the hands. 

Mr. Padgett. Hanging on the locker? 

Midshipman Hayes. I believe that is it, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Wlien you had to hang on the locker did you have 
to hold your feet out in a horizontal position? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. There is no change in the method of that. 

Midshipman Hayes. No change at all, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think that the exercises that Mr. Kim¬ 
brough got here are likely to be beneficial to him physically? 

Midshipman Hayes. I would rather not say anything about Kim¬ 
brough, sir, if I may be excused from that. 

The Chairman. Then I will say do you think that any freshman is 
benefited by being exercised and being made to stand on his head 
300 times? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not think standing on the head is bene¬ 
ficial. The others I think are good for them. 

The Chairman. Then, as I gather it from your idea, if the exercises 
that come under the head of hazing could be strictly limited in dis¬ 
creet hands and not used to excess it might be beneficial to the boy ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I undoubtedly think it would, sir. 

The Chairman. But what do you think about the end of such a 
system? Is it safe, as a system, to put this power in the hands of 
three or four or five hundred boys, some of whom are prudent, some 
of whom are reckless, some of whom are discreet, and some of whom 
are indiscreet ? Is such a system as that, as a whole, likely to be for 
the benefit ol the boys ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I should think it would be, sir. It would not 
be carried to excess. 

The Chairman. Well, it has been. 

Midshipman Hayes. In one case, sir. 

The Chairman. Oh, in a multitude of them. You have been stood 
on your head? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is 100 a reasonable number of times? 

Midshipman Hayes. I never used to mind 100 very much. 

The Chairman. Two hundred? 

Midshipman Hayes. I could go as much as 400 or 500 when I was a 
plebe. 

The Chairman. How would you like to have that followed up by 
about ten leaning rests ? 

Midshipman Hates. I have had it, sir. 

The Chairman. Right along with the other? 

Midshipman Hayes. Right straight along. 

The Chairman. And hanging on the locker a few times by way of 
variety. 

Midshipman Hayes. I have had it, sir. 

The Chairman. It did not hurt you? 

Midshipman Hayes. It did not hurt me. 

The Chairman. You are strong physically? 


N 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


295 


Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Unusually strong? 

Midshipman Hayes. Not unusually strong. 

The Chairman. A young man was before us a day or two ago who 
said he was strong and healthy, and that he could stand his share of 
any athletic exercise. He had tried it himself as an experiment, and 
he informed us that he thought 120 times of being stood on the head 
was the limit to which an ordinary young man could go without undue 
exhaustion. You did not agree with that? 

Midshipman Hayes. In my own case I have gone more than 120. 
I have gone along two, three, and four hundred times. I do not 
know about the average man. I had my own way in doing it, by 
not getting my back too high, but more straight out, taking the weight 
on my hands. 

The Chairman. I suppose the rules for athletic exercises here,have 
to be made for average men—for the classes as a whole. 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that it might easily happen that you could 
stand an amount of exercising which would be pretty exhausting, and 
perhaps injurious, to one who was not so strong? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know anything about a hazing epidemic 
that broke out at West Point live years ago? 

Midshipman Hayes. Only what I read in the papers at the time. 

The Chairman. You know that that also resulted in very serious 
injury of several cadets and the death of one of them. Do you 
know, or do you not, that every time an epidemic ol hazing has broken 
out in either of these schools it has invariably resulted in the death or 
serious injury of some student? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I did not know that. 

The Chairman. What is your opinion of class lighting? 

Midshipman Hayes. Why, I think in some cases it would be neces¬ 
sary. In a majority of cases they could arbitrate very easily. 

The Chairman. If a system of hazing is in force I suppose class 
lighting is a necessity or it could not be enforced? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not know. I do not think it could, sir. 
As I say, there have only been live or six class fights that I can recall 
since I have been here, and those were not entirely between third and 
fourth class men. 

The Chairman. I think we can safely say that quite a number have 
escaped your attention. 

Midshipman Hayes. I have no doubt of that, in the least. • They 
are kept very quiet. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose they do not fight ? Suppose you would not 
observe the rule, or subipit to hazing, and you were challenged to 
fight and you declined to fight—what would then be the penalty? 

Midshipman Hayes. About the best thing for a man to do in that 
case would be for him to resign, I should think. 

Mr. Padgett. If he did not resign what would be the course ? 

Midshipman Hayes. He would be practically in Coventry. 

Mr. Padgett. That is what I wanted to get at. 

Midshipman Hayes. Coventry is an official punishment in the 
regulation there which is given to midshipmen under certain circum¬ 
stances. T ‘ 


296 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Padgett. There is no regulation authorizing midshipmen to 
put other midshipmen in Coventry, though ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; it is always the superintendent who 
gives the punishment of Coventry, sir. 

The Chairman. In view of the developments which have come 
under your notice, and in the light of your experience and knowledge 
upon the subject, is it still your opinion that the system of hazing is a 
good one to continue in the academy? 

Midshipman Hayes. Some forms of it are if you eliminate the form 
of going on the head. In my opinion that would be the only one that 
is detrimental or injurious to the health at all. 

The Chairman. Your conclusion is based solely upon it as a 
physical exercise? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose the football and baseball teams do not 
need*to be exercised during the season? 

Midshipman Hayes. They never are, sir. A man who is out for 
football is never hazed during the football season. 

The Chairman. They are let off. Then your opinion is that the 
classes as a whole that come here do not receive enough physical 
exercise ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not think they do, sir, in soine respects. 

The Chairman. And that the adding on of these exercises by the 
student body is for their benefit ? 

Midshipman Hayes. That is the way it is shown in the records of 
my class, sir, in their general appearance. 

The Chairman. I think that the opinion of the United States, 
and of the Congress of the United States, is that it is a very perni¬ 
cious, cowardly system, entirely unworthy of young men who are 
going into the service of their country for the purpose of obeying 
and enforcing the laws of their country, and that it must be rooted 
out of this institution if it takes the last student in it. 

Mr. Padgett. What would you think of the advisability or the 
propriety of substituting for the physical exercises gotten from hazing 
a hoe and a spade and having them cultivate a garden? 

Midshipman Hayes. That would have the same effect, sir, and the 
same results would be gained. 

The Chairman. I do not think you are entirely frank in your 
opinion on the subject of hazing. You must know very well, as all 
or us know, that a good share of the hazing is done for the purpose 
of showing the authority of the upper class men over the under 
class men; that it is done for the pure amusement and recreation 
of the upper class men, and that the benefit to the lower class man 
in a majority of the instances of hazing is the last thing that comes 
into their minds. Do you not know that? 

Midshipman Hayes. It is not so in my own particular case, sir. 
I do not know how it is with the academy at large. 

The Chairman. We have been discussing the system as it is, not 
from ideal systems that you have in your mind. We are discussing 
the system which actually exists and which includes most severe 
cases of standing on the head, which you said you would not do. It 
also includes practices which seem equally objectionable, such 
as req^uiring menial services on the part or the young men who come 
here lor upper class men, a thing which is unworthy of American 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


297 


institutions and of a free people, and which any boy ought to resent 
to the limit of his ability who comes here. We are discussing a 
system which includes requiring boys to take care of soiled linen, 
to put away clothing when it comes in, to wind clocks, to perform 
all sorts of menial and degrading services. All these things are 
included in the term hazing as it exists at the present time, and it 
seems to me that to maintain that such a system as is shown to 
exists here in thousands of pages of testimony is for the benefit of 
the lower class man is unworthy of the intelligence of a man w'ho is 
familiar with it. 

Midshipman Hayes. I was speaking absolutely from the physical 
hazing standpoint, sir. 

The Chairman. Yet you say that part of the practices, you think, 
ought to be left out ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Merely the going on the head. 

The Chairman. Do the surgeons here, as far as your knowledge 
goes, ever report cases that come in which clearly indicate that 
fighting has taken place? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I have never known of it. 

The Chairman. Is it the opinion, as far as you know, among the 
midshipmen that these cases will not be reported by the surgeons 
unless serious injury results? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not know that they have ever held such 
an opinion, sir. 

The Chairman. The surgeons do not, as a matter of fact, make a 
report of these, do they, to your knowledge? 

Midshipman Hayes. I have never heard of such a report, to my 
knowledge. 

The Chairman. Do not the boys feel pretty safe in going over 
and having a black eye painted, feeling that it will not be brought 
to the attention of the disciplinary officers? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think they do; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You have never known of any instance, yourself, 
Mr. Hayes, where any forms of running or of hazing in its broad 
sense have come to the knowledge of the disciplinary officers, the 
naval officers, either this year or last year, which were not reported ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I do not know of any such occurrence. 

The Chairman. I think that is all I have to ask you. The other 
gentlemen may wish to ask you some questions. 

Mr. Gregg. There was a little difference between Mr. Padgett and 
myself just now about a certain proposition. I understand the evi¬ 
dence in one way and he understands it in another. As I under¬ 
stand, there is a naval officer the officer in charge every day? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. In Bancroft Hall? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Then there are three other disciplinary officers besides 
the one who is in charge for the day? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. These three others—do they remain there all day, or 
do they- 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; they come about 9.30, and I have 
seen the four men together at that time of morning. Then they 
go to their separate offices to look over their conduct reports and 


298 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


assign demerits and make morning inspections, and then the other 
three that are not on duty leave the building. 

Mr. Gregg. They do not stay there all day? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But one of them stays there all day ? 

Midshipman Hayes. One is there all day; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What difference is there between that custom and the 
way it has been done heretofore? 

Midshipman Hayes. Heretofore we had one officer in charge on 
duty. All demerits were assigned by the commandant. Then the 
others had nothing to do with the building at all and were never in 
it when they were off duty. 

Mr. Gregg. The only things these officers do in addition to that 
is to assign demerits and inspect rooms? 

Midshipman Hayes. That is all I have information about. 

Mr. Gregg. Now, about the setting-up exercises being beneficial. 
When I was in a military academy the setting-up exercises were a 
part of the drill for the new men. Is that true here now? 

Midshipman Hayes. There is very little of it, sir. When I was a 
fourth class man we had it every night, which has been since discon¬ 
tinued. We had it from right after supper until study call. 

Mr. Gregg. You say you have very little of that setting-up exer¬ 
cise now? 

Midshipman Hayes. They get about a week of it about every six 
weeks, I should say. In one of the academy registers it shows the 
drills. 

]Mr. Gregg. I do not care about being accurate about that. What 
is supposed to have taken the place of that exercise now—the gym¬ 
nasium ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No; they only have that about every week 
or so,-sir. I can find it in just a moment. 

Mr. Gregg. We did not have the gymnasium in my days. We 
set them up, though. 

Midshipman Hayes. Here in the fourth class, the first setting-up 
drill they have gotten since we came back from leave was in Novem¬ 
ber—two days, Monday and Tuesday—week ending November 25. 
That is one division only. 

Mr. Gregg. That is the only drill the}^ have there? 

Midshipman Hayes. That is the only one. They have bayonet 
drill, gymnastics, and ordnance. When the fourth class have ord¬ 
nance they very often make it a setting-up drill. 

Mr. Gregg. Were you a cadet officer this year? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I was a cadet petty officer. 

Mr. Gregg. When was it that the cadet petty officers were called 
together by the commandant and given instructions as to reporting 
small infractions, including hazing and everything—how long since? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not remember the exact date. It was 
Sunday morning. 

Mr. Gregg. How long since ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I should say five weeks. 

Mr. Gregg. Was it before or after the Branch-Meriwether fight? 

Midshipman Hayes. It was long after, sir—about five weeks before 
graduation. 

Mr. Gregg. Prior to the Branch-Meriwether fight, what instruc- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 299 

tions were given to the petty officers and cadet officers about report¬ 
ing hazing and all infractions? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not recall any, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. That is all, I believe. 

The Chairman. Mr. Hayes, I hope you will be able to get out of 
your difficulty and become an officer of the United States Navy soon. 
When by and by you are in the service of the country and placed, 
perhaps, in command of a ship at sea;^ with three, four, or five hun¬ 
dred men, in case the rules and regulations of the Navy and of your 
ship do not please the men jon would not think it anything improper 
for them to substitute some other rules of their own, would you? 

Midshipman Hayes. I certainly would, sir. 

The Chairman. The laws of the United States, you think, are 
erroneous on the subject of hazing, and you therefore think it is 
proper for you young men who are to become officers of the Navy, 
to substitute a system of your own in place of them? 

Midshipman Hayes. I understood that you wanted my opinion 
of absolutely physical hazing. I did not include fagging or running, 
winding clocks, and such things as that in my opinion of hazing. 
I do not approve of the fagging part of it, but I certianly do approve 
of the physical part of it. I think it does them good and is bene¬ 
ficial. 

The CiLiiRMAN. Who would you have prescribe the amount of 
physical hazing which is permitted and what it should be ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Let the cadet officers of the company do 
it. It was done here in Admiral Brownson’s time. The fourth class 
men were dancing and cutting up and having a right good time down 
in the sail loft. The midshipman officer of the day happened to 
come in, and Admiral Brownson told him to do anytning he wanted 
with the fourth class men. He sent up to headquarters and got 
assistance and he gave them a good setting up. That Admiral 
Brownson approved of There was no going on the head though. 

The Chairman. Did they give anything that that was not pro¬ 
vided in the exercises under the regulations ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. They gave it to them for a straight 
setting-up drill, and they gave it to them for a week after that, every 
afternoon. 

The Chairman. The academy has been here, I suppose, for fifty 
years. The attention of a great many of the most eminent naval 
officers that our country has produced have been given to the rules 
and regulations of the academy. They have been added to and 
changed, from time to time, as experience seemed to demand. The 
exercises, the athletic part of it, have grown out of fifty years of 
experience, and have been passed upon by experienced men, and by 
medical men. You have been here three years and a half. Your 
training prior to the time you came here, I suppose, was along 
entirely different lines from those which would give you experience 
in making rules of exercise or rules of conduct. Would not it be 
fair to suppose that the exercises and the rules and regulations 
which are the result of fifty years’ growth and experience would be 
perhaps better than those which could be made by a committee of 
the midshipmen? 

Midshipman Hayes. Is this with regard absolutely to physical 
exercise, now—to the physical part of the hazing? 


300 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Physical exercise is included. 

Midshipman Hayes. If you include running and all the other 
things, I could not see where it fits exactly, but if you refer to the 
strictly physical side of hazing, I may be able to answer that, sir. 

The Chairman. How much setting-up practice is included in the 
regular course which is received here ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Two days, sir. 

The Chairman. Two days a week? 

Midshipman Hayes. Two days to the whole time. In my fourth 
class year we had it every night, after supper, I think, from about 
7.10 until 7.30. Under the first division of the fourth class, we find 
there are only two days as laid down here, for the setting-up drill. 

The Chairman. And by the setting-up drill you mean that which 
gives a military carriage and an erect bearing? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do. 

The Chairman. And there are only two days of that during what 
time? 

Midshipman Hayes. In that one particular division two days are 
laid down during the whole academic year, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you not have drills—a good many of them? 

Midshipman Hayes. That is, strictly setting-up drill. We always 
have gymnastics. Now, this is one division, the first division. 
They have gymnastics three weeks during the whole academic year. 

The Chairman. I thought, in looking around here, that they had 
quite a good many drills during the week ? 

Mr. Padgett. Gun drills, and things of that sort, but not setting¬ 
up drills. 

The Chairman. Are not the disciplinary officers watching in each 
of the drills to see that thy stand erect and hold their chins up and 
their shoulders back? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; they have nothing to do with drills 
of that kind. 

The Chairman. Is that done by the company officers ? 

Midshipman Hayes. The four disciplinary officers have nothing 
to do with the drills at all. 

The Chairman. Is that done by the company officers, or other 
naval officers ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Some of the drills are by the officers; some 
by cadet officers and petty officers. 

The Chairman. Do they give attention to the carriage and bear¬ 
ing of the men in the drills ? 

Midshipman Hayes. In all the infantry or artillery .drills the cadet 
officers and petty officers do. At this time of the year the fourth 
class have drills independently of the other classes. Each class is 
drilling alone now. 

The Chairman. The 16th is one of the disciplinary drills of the 
academy ? It is in the present rules and regulations ? 

Midshipman Hayes. It is in the tactical regulations. 

The Chairman. In the present issue ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not remember whether it is in the 
present drill book or not. 

The Chairman. I can think of nothing more that I wish to ask. 

Mr. Padgett. I want to ask a question or two. Mr. Hayes, do 
you know of any instance since you have been connected with the 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 301 

school where an officer has known of hazing or running and has 
declined to report it ? 

Midshipman Hayes. The only excuse I could possibly see that 
he could make there, sir, would be that he would have the chance 
of saying he did not wake up. On Christmas eve of my fourth 
class year they turned out the whole annex, and we fell in in a squad 
and marched around the yard, after midnight, some time. It was 
snowing at the time. We went right directly by this row and down 
to the gymnasium. They were calling ''Hep, hep, hep,’’ all the 
time. We marched right up to the window of the officer in charge. 
His room was on the rear side of the old quarters, which would be on 
this side. We came directly under his window at that time of night. 

Mr. Padgett. Was that a case of hazing? 

Midshipman Hayes. I should think you could call it that, sir. 
We were turned out by two midshipmen, upper class men—one a 
first class man and one a third class man. 

Mr. Padgett. The whole class was brought out at midnight? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You do not know of any officer who knew of it? 

Midshipman Hayes. I do not even remember who was on duty at 
the time, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. When was that ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Christmas eve of 1902, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any case last year, the last academic 
year, or so far in the present academic year, or any midshipman who 
has been hazed or run, that was known to an officer who has neg¬ 
lected to report it? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I do not. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any instances of rumors among 
the midshipmen that such has been the case ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I heard one rumor, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I do not mean an idle rumor, but I mean one that 
was generally circulated among the young men, and that was accepted 
as well grounded? 

Midshipman Hayes. The rumor I heard was exploded afterwards 
by the fact that it was a classmate of mine who was making a test. 
I remember now. A classmate of mine, Mr. Moses, was making a test 
at the time of this Kimbrough trial, that he could go on his head for 
twenty minutes consecutively, when the officer in charge walked into 
the room. The rumor was circulated that he had noticed hazing 
and had not reported it. But it was found out afterwards that it 
was a first class man and not a plebe. 

Mr. Dawson. And it was voluntary? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir; he had gone thirteen minutes. 

Mr. Padgett. Have you heard among the midshipmen of the 
school any instances where it was generally believed there was a case 
where an officer knew of hazing or running and had neglected to 
report it ? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I have not. 

Mr. Dawson. What is your opinion with regard to the discipline 
of this academy during the last academic year, as compared with 
the present academic year? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think we have a higher standard of dis¬ 
cipline here now. 


302 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Dawson. You think the discipline is more rigid now than it 
was during the last year? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Has this been a gradual growth, or has it prevailed 
from the beginning of the present academic year? 

Midshipman Hayes. It began with the beginning of this academic 
year. 

Mr. Dawson. The discipline was made more rigid? 

Midshipman Hayes. More rigid; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Are the midshipmen observing the rules of discipline 
out of respect and regard for the discipline or through fear of punish¬ 
ment ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think more from fear of punishment now, 
sir, than anything else. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you think that there is or is not among the mM- 
shipmen a desire and a purpose upon their part to observe the discip¬ 
line from a sense of duty or of obligation ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think it is growing right along, sir, to that 
extent. At the very beginning of this year it was done because he 
had to do it, but after that it began to grow along, and I can not say 
now how it is up there at all. 

Mr. Padgett. I am speaking about up to your time of leaving. 

Midshipman Hayes. Up to my time I think it had grown so that 
we did it because we got used to it, in a measure, and it was not hard. 
We saw that it was necessary, and it was done. 

Mr. Padgett. In other words, do I understand you to mean that 
if there was no punishment to be inflicted under the rules they would 
not observe the discipline? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir. I think now, with the way they 
have got the academy now, they would observe the discipline. 

Mr. Padgett. At one time, though, you think they would not have 
done so, except through a sense of fear? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think at the beginning of this year things 
did not look very well for that. 

Mr. Gregg. In what respect do you think the discipline has im¬ 
proved—this year’s discipline? ^ 

Midshipman Hayes. There are fewer large punishments now, sir. 
The people do not break the regulations for very large offenses, as 
they used to. There are not so many of those.* There are plenty 
of little cases—that it is almost impossible to avoid—such things as 
carelessness about the room, or something of that sort. That is not, 
practically, breaking a regulation. It is just impossible to avoid that. 
Of course, it is breaking a regulation, but as far as large crimes go, I 
do not think there are any of those left now. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you think that is enforced through the cadet offi¬ 
cers and cadet petty officers? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think they have something to do with it, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. They have improved the discipline ? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think they have. 

Mr. Gregg. Their sense of duty has been improved, and they have 
improved the discipline. 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. How does it happen that there has not been a single 
report during this year, for hazing, by a cadet officer or petty officer ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


303 


Midshipman Hayes. There was this Branch-Meriwether trouble, 
and then the Kimbrough trouble, and then the board of inquiry. 
Then the class of 1906, my class, had a meeting and decided that 
there would be no more hazing, and from that time on there was no 
more hazing or running, in the broadest sense of the word. 

Mr. Gregg. Is that the time from which the officers began doing 
their duty—the time you had that meeting 1 

Midshipman Hayes. No; they started the board of inquiry before 
that. 

Mr. Gregg. At the time you had the meeting, is not that the date 
from which this strict discipline has proceeded—the date at which 
it began? 

Midshipman Hayes. With regard to hazing, you mean? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes. 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes; from that time when we had a voluntary 
meeting there was no more hazing. 

^Ir. Gregg. Up to that time the cadet officers and cadet petty 
officers enforced no discipline, did they? 

Midshipman Hayes. They winked at hazing. There was disci¬ 
pline in all other respects. From that time on they stopped it abso¬ 
lutely. 

Mr. Gregg. Up to that time the cadet officers and cadet petty 
officers absolutely did not enforce that law? 

Midshipman Hayes. Not that one. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you any evidence that the discipline officers 
of this academy have winked at hazing during the present academic 
year? 

Midshipman Hayes. No, sir; I have not, except that they can see 
them sitting up straight at the tables—if that is considered under 
hazing, and I believe it is. They can see that from the seat in the 
mess hall. 

Mr. Padgett. Are the members of the first class, before gradu¬ 
ation, permitted to smoke? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir; they are. 

Mr. Padgett. At what time does that begin—that right or 

Midshipman Hayes. That first started in the institution- 

Mr. Padgett. I am not talking about that, but about when it 
began. 

Midshipman Hayes. It started in the class of 1904, when they 
became the senior class, at graduation, in 1903. It begins a day or 
so after the graduation of one class, and then the next class begins it. 
It was started by Admiral Brownson. We have had the privilege of 
smoking since the graduation of the class in 1905. 

Mr. Padgett. So the graduating class has a right to smoke from 
the preceding graduation ? 

Midshipman Hayes. From the publication of the order, sir. It 
may be a day or so afterwards. 

Mr. Padgett. It runs from one to the other? 

Midshipman Hayes. From one to the other, right down. 

Mr. Padgett. Smoking is absolutely prohibited to the other three 
classes ? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. This privilige is given you by an order? 


304 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Hayes. By an order of the superintendent; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Can you tell us anything about the rates in force 
here, Mr. Hayes? 

Midshipman Hayes. Yes, sir. The rate committee of the class of 
1906, which just graduated, fixed these rates. These are the written 
rates in effect around the Naval Academy during our class year. 

The Chairman. That is, you make them at the beginning of the 
year ? 

Midshipman Hayes. On graduation; yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. The first class appoints all rates every year? 

Midshipman Hayes. Throughout the academy; yes, sir. The first 
is: ‘‘The youngster class will rate sailing launches, catboats, and 
half raters Nos. 3 and 4.” 

Then: ^‘The youngster class will not rate steam launches.’’ 

Then: ^‘The youngster class will rate using the three tennis courts 
nearest to Bancroft Hall, but either class may use unoccupied courts 
of the other class under the provision that they will vacate the 
court immediately when members of the class rating the court desires 
to use the same.” 

That is a disposition of the tennis courts here. 

‘^The captains of class baseball teams shall decide upon the use of 
practice diamonds for class practice during baseball season.” 

‘‘The walks now known as second class walks shall hereafter be the 
rate of the senior class.” 

“The walks now known as first class walks shall be second class 
walks, but may be used by the youngster class after its graduation.” 

That is, the third class. 

“Classes shall take • precedence at pay office in order of their 
seniority.” 

Then we have another that has been scratched out since we have 
been here, but I will give you that: 

“ Rates in buildings shall be made by senior midshipmen quartered 
in their respective buildings.” 

Then: “Youngster class will rate second class bench after gradu¬ 
ation.” 

Then here is one that applies to the mess hall: 

“No text-books, periodicals, newspapers, or notes of any descrip¬ 
tion shall be brought into the mess hall unless by special permission 
each time from the head of the mess.” 

“No class shall look at any upper class bulletin boards.” 

The Chairman. Do they have bulletin boards of their own? 

Midshipman Hayes. Each class has a bulletin board. 

“Throwing bread in the mess hall is a first class rate.” 

“Unbuttoning blouses or dress jackets in mess hall is a second 
class rate, not to be given to the youngster class on its graduation.” 

At the beginning of the year the rate committee got together 
and made rates applying to Bancroft Hall. These others stood with 
this addition: 

“Second, third, and fourth classes shall observe their days at the 
barber shop; that is, second and third classes Mondays, Wednesdays, 
and Fridays; fourth class Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; 
first class go on any day, and shall always take precedence.” 

That is practically a copy of the regulation book, except that we 
took any time that we wanted to go. I believe they settled that 
one by an order to the barbers. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 305 

‘‘Third and fourth class going to basement under terraces in the 
rear of quarters shall never use wing doors/’ 

After we made this rate, I think an order was published to the 
same effect. 

The Chairman. On account of the crowd? 

Midshipman Hayes. On account of the congestion at the doors. 

“First class only shall use side aisles of mess hall.” That is an 
old rate. 

“Fourth class men shall go through recreation hall to meal for¬ 
mation.” 

That was never enforced. We cut that out. 

Those are the only rates we have in existence at the Naval Academy 
here now. 

The Chairman. I understand some of these rates are to be recog¬ 
nized in the new regulations, and made official? 

^lidshipman Hayes. Some of those rates, I know, do not amount 
to much. 1 know that throwing bread in the mess hall is a childish 
rate, but the others, such as relating to the wing doors, is made to 
avoid congestion at the doors. Then the rate that the third class 
shall not use steam launches. Of course, the fourth class are not 
allowed to use steam launches, simply because they have not had 
steam-launch drill, and they know nothing about them. Most of the 
rates are made up with that idea. They are made with an idea of 
fairness, and to avoid trouble between the classes. 

The Chairman. I think it is understood by everyone that the 
upper classes are entitled to some extra privileges over the under 
classes. 

Mr. Padgett. Wliat about the rate as to Lover’s Lane? 

Midshipman Hayes. Lover’s Lane is a gravel walk out here, and 
fourth class men are not supposed to be allowed to use it. All others 
can use it. It is particularly a third class rate. It is not written 
or recognized, but the third class usually use it. But every other 
class may use it. 

Mr. Gregg. What about turning sharp corners? 

Midshipman Hayes, That word “rate” is very much abused. 
It is applied to things that are not rates. 

Mr. Gregg. Is not that the trouble with any of those things, 
that they will be abused? Is not that the trouble with hazing? 
That is not a rate, but it is a practice. About turning sharp corners— 
they are not allowed to take short cuts? 

Midshipman Hayes. I saw some of them this morning taking 
short cuts. This the first time I have been out for a week. 

Mr. Gregg. It has been a custom, heretofore, though? 

Midshipman Hayes. Always; yes, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN FRANK HAMILTON ROBERTS, U. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman Frank Hamilton Roberts, U. S. Navy, having 
been first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Roberts. Frank Hamilton Roberts. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1- 20 


306 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Roberts. Connecticut. 

The Chairman. We understand that you are under detention at 
present, relative to some charges supposed to be touching your 
conduct. We have no desire to inquire into anything relative to 
that, nor to ask any questions which might relate directly to it. 
If any such are inadvertently asked,.they will be stricken out of 
the testimony. 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In other words, we are not desirous of getting 
any testimony which would tend to furnish evidence in relation to 
your case. 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In case evidence should ever be called for. 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You came into the academy in 1902? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did physical hazing prevail then? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. About the same practices that prevail now? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; just the same. 

The Chairman. Of about the same severity, or mildness? 

Midshipman Roberts. I saw more of it then, as I was a plebe. 
I can only state what I have done myself this year. 

The Chairman. Were there any cases resulting in serious injury 
while you were in your freshman year ? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; I do not remember any. 

The Chairman. Have any practices been added on since you were 
in your plebe year ? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; no physical stunts. 

The Chairman. Do you have some additional practices under the 
head of running? 

Midshipman Roberts. Well, yes, sir; I have seen new ones. 

The Chairman. Were you hazed some wdien you were here? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In your first year? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was hazing handed out quite impartially to all 
the plebes that year. 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. None of them were omitted or neglected? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Has the definition of hazing changed, as it is 
understood to-day, from what it was in your plebe year? 

Midshipman Roberts. I never understood the definition of 
hazing as they give it now. 

The Chairman. What did you understand? 

Midshipman Roberts. It was called running when we came here. 

The Chairman. It was all called running, and none of it was 
called hazing? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. If you were required to do the 16th,” or the lean¬ 
ing rest, or hanging on the locker, that was considered running ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Running, when I came here. 

The Chairman. Hazing had faUen into disuse then, had it, and 
running was substituted for it? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


307 


Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. When you were a plebe, did a practice of requiring 
services of an under class man prevail—the fourth class man ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What were some of the services you had to do? 

Midshipman Roberts. Principally at the table. I used to report 
the dessert each dinner, report the number of days to the football 
game until it came, and from then to graduation. Then we had 
to tell stories every day. 

The Chairman. But that really was not menial service? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. I find in a good many instances during the past 
year under class men have been required to bring up food from the 
mess room to the upper class men, first class men. They have been 
required to come around to ro*oms and wind up the clocks or waken 
upper class men in the morning, and in some instances to make up 
their laundry, and to take care of it when it came back and put it 
in the locker in its proper shape. Did those customs prevail when 
you were a freshman here ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I do not know that I have done 
them, but I have seen them. 

The Chairman. What was that called? Was it under the head of 
running, also? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You never used the term fagging, as applied to 
that? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. This running, as you understand it, has prevailed 
every year since your freshman year? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Has it increased or decreased, or remained about 
the same? 

Midshipman Roberts. It decreased, when Admiral Brownson was 
here. 

The Chairman. Running decreased, or physical hazing? 

Midshipman Roberts. Physical hazing. They had running, such 
as asking the plebe questions at the table. 

The Chairman. What do they call sending a man under the table; 
running or hazing? 

Midshipman Roberts. I should call it running, sir. 

The Chairman. It would not be a physical stunt, of itself, or 
injurious? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. That would be running. There never was any 
agreement made while Admiral Brownson was here as to running? 
That applied to physical hazing? • 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that running, as applied to the practices I have 
named, or the practices requiring stories to be told, had prevailed 
every year since you have been here ? 

Midshipman Roberts.- Yes, sir; but I never saw a man go under 
the table after we gave the promise to Admiral Brownson. 

The Chairman. That has been practiced during the present school 
year? 


308 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; since Admiral Sands has been 
here. 

The Chairman. Why was it not during the preceding year? 

Midshipman Roberts. The class gave their word not to haze. 

The Chairman. But that was as to physical hazing. 

Midshipman Roberts. They took it, or at least I took it,>to mean 
that you should not interfere with the plebes in such a way as to 
discomfort them, I should think. 

The Chairman. It applied to physical exercises, did it not? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is what the agreement related to, as you 
understood it? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Sending a man under the table would not be a 
physical exercise? • 

Midshipman Roberts. I should not consider it so, but it was done 
away with when Admiral Brownson was here. 

The Chairman. You mean so far as you noticed? 

Midshipman Roberts. So far as I noticed. 

The Chairman. You would not undertake to say that men were 
not sent under the table last year? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; I would not say that. 

The Chairman. All other forms of running prevailed except phys¬ 
ical exercises last year? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In consideration of giving your pledge not to 
practice physical hazing, were any additional privileges permitted 
to any of the class men? Were the upper class men or &st class men 
allowed to smoke, where they formerly had not been permitted to? 

Midshipman Roberts. That was allowed to first class men. I do 
not know that it was a direct result of that. The first class were 
allowed to have better liberty. 

The Chairman. You did not have to sign the liberty book? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. What other practices were included in this pledge ? 
Gouging ? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; that was in a separate pledge, sir. 

The Chairman. What pledges were given, then? 

Midshipman Roberts. Our class gave a pledge not to gouge, and 
to knock off hazing. 

The Chairman. And trenching? 

Midshipman Roberts. And t^o knock off trenching. When we 
did that we were excused from signing the liberty book. 

The Chairman. During your plebe year here, Mr. Roberts, did 
you understand that hazing was forbidden by the rules of the 
academy, and running, as you understood it then ? 

Midshipman Roberts. I considered that the same as breaking any 
small regulation—100 demerits if it was a large offense. 

The Chairman. You considered it one of the rules of the academy? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did the plebes in your class generally understand 
that it was the law of the country, or did they think it was a mere 
regulation of the academy? 

Midshipman Roberts. I thought it was a regulation. I can not 
say what they thought. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 309 

The Chairman. When did you first learn that it was a law of the 
United States? 

Midshipman Roberts. Why, when three first class men, Little, 
Laii^hlin, and Chaffee were court-martialed. 

The Chairman. In 1904? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think that before the dismissal of those 
three class men the body of midshipmen understood that it was 
anything more than a regulation of the academy? 

Midshipman Roberts. I do not believe they did, sir. 

The Chairman. How many class fights do you think have taken 
place during your stay here—three years and three-quarters. 

Midshipman Roberts. I know of three that have taken place. 
They keep them kind of quiet, since this investigation when midship¬ 
man Fitch testified that he had been in nineteen. That is the extent 
of my knowledge. 

The Chairman. Those were not all class fights? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. I know three, and that is all I 
know of. 

The Chairman. How many fights of all kinds do you think have 
taken place in the time—a little less than four years—that you have 
been here? Thirty, forty, fifty, ^ixty, seventy? 

Midshipman Roberts. The only fights I ever knew about were 
the three, and the nineteen that he spoke about in the investigation. 

The Chairman. I suppose the news of a fight was of a character 
that spread quite readily around among the boys? 

Midshipman Roberts. They seemed to keep them quiet. 

The Chairman. As far as you know, then, the body of the students 
do not know about the majority of the fights? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; I do*not think they do, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you make a distinction between class fights 
and other kinds of personal encounters? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I do. 

The Chairman. What is the difference in your mind? 

Midshipman Roberts. A personal encounter can be between the 
members of different classes, but it is because the two gentlemen get 
sore at each other; but a class fight is where—for instance, in my 

? lebe year a man named Pearson, m my class, was caught trenching. 

t is not supposed to be a plebe rate, and the class above him took up 
the matter. He got to saying one thing and then another, and as a 
result they pickect a man in the third class to scrap him. 

The Chairman. Class fighting is the weapon of the upper class 
men to enforce their rules in relation to running and hazing ? 
Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Did I understand you to say that trenching was a 
rate, and was denied to fourth class men? 

Midshipmen Roberts. Yes, sir; it was in my plebe year. That is 
what Pearson’s trouble was. 

Mr. Padgett. Is it still a rate? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; I do not think anybody trenches 
now. 

Mr. Padgett. When did it cease to be a rate to french? 
Midshipman Roberts. It came separately with the classes. They 
promised Admiral Brownson that they would not french. When the 


310 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


first class ^ave their promise, it would be hard for under class men to 

f et out without our knowing’t—although in the present third class I 
now some men that are trenching out this year. They are taking 
big chances. 

Mr. Padgett. While we are on that subject, with your permission, 
Mr. Chairman, if a fourth class man gets 50 demerits for being in citi¬ 
zen’s clothing and 50 demerits for being outside of the academy 
grounds without a permit, does that mean that he has been frenchin^? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I would take it that if he is 
reported for being outside of the academy limits without authority 
that would be considered trenching. 

Mr. Padgett. That is trenching? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. So if a fourth class man was doing that he would be 
violating a rate among the boys as well as the regulations of the 
institution ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. But if the upper classes make a rate to go out of the 
academ}^ grounds without authority it is only a question with them 
of being caught ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; some rates are like that and others 
are not. 

Mr. Padgett. That particular one I was speaking of? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Ts it your understanding, Mr. Roberts, that last 
year when your agreement prevailed as to ph 3 ^sical hazing no partic¬ 
ular attention was paid by the naval officers as to forms of running 
outside of physical hazing ? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; I never saw them interfere much 
in any way. 

The Chairman. There was no physical hazing to interfere with? 
Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The ChaiiIman. And the other forms which remained, and which 
fell outside of the agreement, the disciplinary officers paid no special 
attention to? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do jmu think they had knowledge of these other 
practices under the head of running? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I believe they had, sir. 

The Chairman. And, of course, they had knowledge of the rates, 
because that is evident to an^mne. Have you any instances in mind 
of cases of running coming to the attention of any of these discip¬ 
linary officers—Mr. Gelm or Mr. Buchanan or smj of the rest of 
them—in which no punishment was inflicted ? 

Midshipman Roberts. I have a few, but I do not know the dis¬ 
tinction between hazing and running. 

The Chairman. Give us what you have. 

Midshipman Roberts. In my plebe 3 ^ear McNair was a first class 
man. He turned us out one night, Christmas night, when it was 
snowing—the first snowfall of the year. We were living in Annex B, 
this side of the old main quarters. The word was passed to put on 
our shoes. I put on my shoes and pajamas and managed to get a 
sweater on. He made us fall in and marched us down to the sea wall. 
He was yelling '^Step” each time for the left foot, loud enough to 


PIAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


311 


wake the plebes in those quarters over here. They knew about it in 
the morning. The officer in charge was asleep. I thought he would 
be wakened up by it, but he never said anything about it. 

The Chairman. That was in 1902? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What other instances do you remember? 
Midshipman Roberts. There was a similar instance in which 
Midshipman Haywood turned us out in the same way about a month 
later. 

Admiral Brownson sort of officially told the midshipman officer of 
the day to give the plebes setting-up exercises during dancing instruc¬ 
tion at one time. They used to go down and cause such a disturbance 
that the dancing master could not keep them in hand right after we 
promised to knock off hazing. That continued for a week. They 

f ave them setting-up exercises as hard as any physical stunts in 
azing. 

The Chairman. That would be hazing if done in an unauthorized 
manner ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. In my plebe year Lieutenant 
McKean threatened to stand a midshipman on his head in the corner 
of the section room. I suppose it was a joke on his part. He did 
not do it. 

]\Ir. Gregg. Was he mad at the time? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; it impressed me more as a joke 
than anything else. Mr. Clark, who was my roommate before he 
graduated, was the officer of the da}^ at one time in his plebe summer 
while the upper classes were on practice cruise. There were 35 plebes 
here. Lieutenant Garrison was officer in charge in the mess hall. 
Some midshipmen were raising a disturbance—loud talking or some¬ 
thing-—and he made the remark to my roommate that when the first 
class, or the upper class men got back from the cruise there would not 
be any more of that. The year after that Midshipman Boyd—he is 
under arrest now for hazing—had a similar experience. He was on 
duty in Annex B. He made his taps inspection, and went back over 
to the old quarters to report to the officer in charge. He got back 
and found his bed torn up; somebody was playing a joke on him. 
He went and told the officer in charge, Tdeutenant-Commander 
Evans—I think ho is in the Asiatic Station now—and Lieutenant- 
Commander Evans came over and made all these midshipmen get 
into dress uniforms and stand up right after taps. He made them 
stand there at attention. About 1 o’clock 10 of them fell out and had 
to be carried to the hospRal. About that time they commenced drop¬ 
ping fast, and he dismissed them, and they went back to their rooms. 
The Chairman. What year was that? 

Midshipman Roberts. 1903, sir. Another thing: Lieutenant- 
Commander Magruder came over to Mr. Mayo when he was in trouble. 
It grew out of this Snyder case. He advised Mr. Mayo to plead 
guilty, and he said clemency would be recommended if he did. Mr. 
Mayo did not do that, and he got acquitted. 

The Chairman. How do you know that? 

Midshipman Roberts. They had about a two-hour talk with him. 
The Chairman. How did you know of that? 

Midshipman Roberts. Mr. Mayo told me, and his lawyer told me— 
Mr. Theall. They were both there, and Mr. Mayo’s father was there. 


812 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Mayo was a very intimate friend of mine, and I followed him 
right through his trouble. 

The Chairman. Are there any other instances? 

Midshipman Roberts. I had one more. I do not know that it 
would exactly come under that head. Everybody was turned out 
by the officer in charge and stood at attention. Mr. McNair was a 
first class man at the time, and he squirted a fire extinguisher on the 
officer in charge when he was asleep. He jumped out of the window 
and got back to his room all right. The midshipmen were turned out 
in dress uniform and stood up to find out who did it. He acknowl¬ 
edged it then. Mr. McNair was never punished for it. 

The Chairman. Do you think it was reasonable for you boys to 
think, from all these instances of knowledge on the part of the officials 
and no punishment, that running, outside of physical stunts, was 
accepted and countenanced by the authorities ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I believe it was. 

The Chairman. Did you know of any instance of a cadet officer 
being punished for failure to report any of these exercises under the 
head of running or hazing outside of physical stunts ? 

Midshipman Roberts. I never heard of any being reported for that. 

The Chairman. Up to the time of the Meriwether fight? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was that the first instance which you knew of since 
you have been here of cadet officers and those in attendance at a 
nght receiving demerits for failing to report ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; that is the first. 

The Chairman. That is the first instance during your stay here? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you a cadet officer? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I was last term. 

The Chairman. How do you account for the fact that it had grown 
to be the custom or code of honor among the cadet officers not to 
report these violations of duty, especially of their own classmates? 
That is a failure of discipline, is it not? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They are in authority; they are in command; 
they are supposed and required to report cases of infractions or vio¬ 
lations of regulations. How had it come about that this system of 
discipline had fallen down—had fallen into disuse ? 

Midshipman Roberts. When I first came here that was the tradi¬ 
tion of the place. 

The Chairman. What is that ? 

Midshipman Roberts. That they had these reports, in my plebe 
year. In my plebe year a first class man was away from the academy 
for tliree days, that I know of. He was reported absent from recita¬ 
tions and everything, but the officer of the day would tear them up 
when they came to the office. 

The Chairman. The naval officer of the day? 

Midshipman Roberts. No; the cadet officer. There was some¬ 
thing said about it. They caught on to it one of these times, and 
they threatened to disrate a lieutenant of the^ second company. Lieu¬ 
tenant Smythe. He was at the head of my table. He was very 
emphatic. He said he would rather be disrated any time than to 
report a classmate for anything like that. I think it was in full sway 
when I came. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


313 


The Chairman. And has been so ever since? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That was the code of honor that prevailed, and 
the boys learned as they came in that their duty was rather to protect 
their classmates than as officers to report breaches of discipline or of 
the regulations? 

Midsliipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. During the present year, when all of these tilings 
under the term hazing were taking place, the disciplinary officers 
knew of it prior to the 14th of October, say, or the 1st of October, 
and up to the 20th of November? 

Midshipman Roberts. I could not say that they did. Most of it 
is done when they are not around. I do not know of any cases where 
they saw deliberate hazing right in front of them. 

The Chairman. In the mess hall we have many instances of mid- 
sliipmen being sent under the table, being made to sit on the edge of 
the chair, and being interfered with in different manners. There is a 
disciplinary officer in the room? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; in the center of the mess hall. 

The Chairman. Could these things take place and he not know of 
it? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It was a very large hall? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is there much noise? 

Midshipman Roberts. Not so very much. 

The Chairman. There are a good many waiters moving about and 
handling dishes, and the boys are permitted to converse? 

Midsliipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. All of that must make a good deal of noise, I take 
it, with eight or nine hundred of them ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You would have to shout to attract attention? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The naval officer sits in the middle of the parallelo¬ 
gram? 

Midsliipman Roberts. Yes, sir; in the middle. 

The Chairman. Do you think boys could be sent under the table 
and made to sit on the edge of their chairs and he know notliing 
about it ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; except at the tables right near 
him. 

The Chairman. Is his back necessarily turned to quite a number 
of the tables in the room? 

Midshipman Roberts. To half of them, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the midshipmen here, Mr. Roberts, know that 
the almost universal opinion of the people of the United States and 
of Congress is that hazing is a very bad practice, wliich is pretty sure 
to end in disaster? 

Midshipman Roberts. They do now, sir. 

The Chairman. They do now, since seeing the results of hazing 
here this fall? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is your personal opinion of it, as a system, 
in view of all you have seen since you have been here? 


314 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Roberts. What I used to say, and what will say 
now, is, that, if I were to go through this place again, I would rather 
take hazing in my plebe year. . 

The Chairman. So that you would have the privilege of being the 
hazer during the three years? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; that is part of the reason. 

The Chairman. Did you ever send any boys under the table? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Why not? 

Midshipman Roberts. I sat two tables away from the officer in 
charge. 

The Chairman. You could not give a better reason. What benefit 
do you think comes to the fourth class man from being stood on his 
head, say, three or four hundred times? 

Midshipman Roberts. If he went that many times it would be 
something serious, and I guess he would not do it again. 

The Chairman. He would not do what again? 

Midshipman Roberts. Whatever caused him to be put up. I do 
not know of any man ever being stuck on his head without some good 
cause for it. At least I have never heard of such a case. 

The Chairman. For instance, if he refused to come around and 
take care of an upper class man’s laundry, that would be a good cause ? 

Midshipman Roberts. I do not think that would be a good cause 
to put him up 300 times. 

The Chairman. How many would you put him up for that? 

Midshipman Roberts. I would not put him up for that. 

The Chairman. If an upper class man should order a fourth class 
man to come around and look after his laundry and the fourth class 
man refused to do it, it would be proper for the upper class man to 
haze him, under the system, would it not ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; he could if he wished to. 

The Chairman. Yes; it would be entirely proper then? 

Midshipman Roberts. I should judge the number of times he 
would be liable to be put on his head would be according to the man¬ 
ner in which he said he would not do it, and the way it impressed 
the upper class man. 

The Chairman. According to your understanding, what is the 
principal benefit of hazing ? Is most of it for the benefit of the under 
class man who is hazed? 

Midshipman Roberts. I should say part of it is for his benefit, sir. 

The Chairman. Half of it? 

Midshipman Roberts. More than half. 

The Chairman. Two-thirds? 

Midshipman Roberts. If you come down to numbers, I should 
say at least two-thirds. The upper class man gets a little pleasure 
out of it, and the other one gets the good out of it. 

The Chairman. The other one-third is for the amusement or 
entertainment of the upper class man? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Or to show the authority which they maintain 
they have over the under class man? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. By and by, when you are in command of a ship— 
if you enter the service of the United States and get command of a 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 315 

ship—and have four or five hundred men under you, and some of the 
naval regulations do not suit them, or some of j^our orders do not 
suit them, it would be entirely appropriate for them to change them, 
would it not, and substitute some of their own? 

Midshipman Roberts. Not if I was in command of the ship, I do 
not think so, sir. 

The Chairman. Would it be proper for them? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir. 

The Chairman. They should be punished for it, should they not, 
if they attempted it? 

Midshipman Roberts. If it was serious enough I would punish 
them. 

The Chairman. You would punish them to some extent for any 
violation of the naval regulations or of your orders, would you not? 

^lidshipman Roberts. Yes, sir; I would. 

The Chairman. You would make the punishment according to 
the offense? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How then, do you conclude that it is proper for 
young men who are being educated as ofiicers to enforce the laws, 
and to obey the laws themselves, in violation of the rules and regu¬ 
lations of the academy and of the laws of the United States, to them¬ 
selves take the law into their own hands and make such changes as 
they see fit? How do you justify it in the one case any more than 
in the other? 

Mr. Roberts. Well, this is a school, and it has its traditions like 
any other school does. The service is the service from beginning to 
end. This school has regulations drawn up concerning these minor 
offenses and they give a certain number of demerits for certain 
things, and they are bound to be broken. 

The Chairman. Where a tradition happens to run up against the 
laws of the United States the tradition wins? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; I should not think so. I do not 
think the midshipmen understood that it was against the laws of 
the -country. 

The Chairman. Is it not one special tradition of the Naval Acad¬ 
emy that members of the first class alone, who were about to take 
upon themselves the authority of naval officers, should not haze? 

Midshipman Roberts. Not that I know of, sir. You say that is 
a tradition? 

The Chairman. Yes; I say that is a tradition of this academy. 
If you talk with the older naval officers who have graduated from 
this academy, they will tell you that in their day there never was 
such a thing thought of as that a first class man should be so undig¬ 
nified as to haze a fourth class man. They had their rates. They 
insisted upon their privileges; but the hazing of fourth class men, 
they tell me, was unknown. 

Midshipman Roberts. I was hazed by first class men when I 
came here, and that is the only way I can tell. 

The Chairman. It prevailed, then, in your time, within four 
years ? 

Midshipman Roberts. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, that shows that the system is growing. If 


316 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


you were to remain here another year, Mr. Roberts, you would stand 
up then for the hazing system ? 

Midshipman Roberts. No, sir; not after this has happened. 

The Chairman. I think that is all, Mr. Roberts. 

The subcommittee, at 5.25 o’clock p. m., adjourned until Friday, 
February 23, 1906, at 10 o’clock a. m. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., Friday, February 23, 1906. 
The subcommittee met at 10 o’clock a. m., tion. E. B. Vreeland 
in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF SURG. JAMES C. BYRNES, TJ. S. NAVY. 

Surg. James C. Byrnes, U. S. Navy, appeared before the subcom¬ 
mittee. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Mr. Chairman, this is a memorandum that you 
asked Doctor Stone to supply. He had not the time to do so, so I 
have brought it to you. 

The memorandum above referred to is as follows; 

SICK QUARTERS—MEMORANDUM. 

United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., February 19, 1906. 

Number of cases admitted to sick quarters as the result of fghtinq among midshipmen from 
October 1, 1904, to present mte. 


Class. 


1 

2 

4 

4 

2 

4 


Date of ad¬ 
mission. 

Nature of injury. 

, Class. 

Date of ad¬ 
mission. 

Nov. 1,1904 

Face bruised. 

4 

Feb. 22,1905 

Jan. .31,1905 

Do. 

!' 4 

Mar. 20,1905 

Feb. 1,1905 

Do. 

i' 4 

.do. 

Feb. 13,1905 

Black eyes. 

' 3 

Nov. 6.1905 

.do. 

Do. 

" 2 

.do. 

Feb. 22,1905 

Eyes injured. 




Nature of injury. 


Ej^es injured. 

Injury to both eyes. 

Do. 

Sprained shoulder. 
Hemorrhage of brain; died. 


The above is a correct list of all injuries following fighting for which midshipmen were 
admitted to the sick list. 


J. C. Byrnes, 

Surgeon, U. S. Navy, Senior Medical Officer. 


The Chairman. Doctor, your appearance here is by direction of 
the President and Secretary of the Navy, through the superintendent 
of the academy, that all officers attached to the academy shall appear 
before this subcommittee of the Naval Committee of the House of 
Representatives and give such information as they can respecting 
the discipline and management of the academy, especially as it 
relates to hazing. We do not, therefore, administer the oath to 
officers, considering that they are appearing before the committee in 
pursuance of their duty. 

You are the senior officer at the sick quarters? , 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; I am the senior officer of the station, 
the entire station, which includes the academy, the ships, and the 
marine barracks; 













HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


317 


The Chairman. How many do you have in your staff? 

Surgeon Byrnes. At this time I have three assistants. I usually 
have Four. One of my assistants, Doctor Stone, was detached, and 
his relief has not reported as yet; and another medical officer is on 
leave of absence. 

The Chairman. Do all of the surgeons stay at the sick quarters? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; they are all provided with quarters 
within the academic limits—one of them living outside. 

The Chairman. One of the surgeons is detailed to stay at the gym¬ 
nasium most of the time while the classes are exercising? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; he has absolute charge of that work. 

The Chairman. He is always there? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; at all drills and exercises there is a 
medical officer present, detailed for that purpose. 

The Chairman. So that if injuries are received he is there on the 
spot to look after them? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; and not only that, but we have 'ffirst 
aids to the wounded,” and hospital nurses, to aid the medical officer 
there in charge. 

The Chairman. If a boy comes into the sick quarters with a couple 
of black eye§, tell us what would be the procedure, doctor? 

Surgeon Byrnes. The first object would be to ascertain the cause. 
The boy is first entered in the journal, his name, age, and the place 
from which he was appointed, the diagnosis of the case, and then the 
cause. If it is caused from some injury other than fighting it is 
entered ‘Tn the line of duty,” and the reason is given why that entry 
is made. If it is the result of a fight it is so stated, that the disease or 
injury did not result in the line of duty, but is the result of a fist fight. 
That is entered in the medical journal of the station. 

The Chairman. If some other midshipman had assaulted this 
young man who came in, and injured him, would he not be injured in 
the line of duty? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That is, if the party injured was not a partici¬ 
pant. If it were a matter that had been arranged between themselves, 
and he was a participant, then it could not come as in the line of duty. 

The Chairman. After he was assaulted he might have struck back? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes; that might have happened. 

The Chairman. Do all the surgeons in the Department understand 
it as you testify, that in all cases they are to inquire into the nature 
and source of the injury, whether they need such information in treat¬ 
ing the case or not? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It is required under the regulations. The regu¬ 
lations, I think, for the government of the Navy, and such instructions 
as we receive from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery of the Navy 
Department, require it. All the records kept here, a,ll the medical 
journals, when closed, are sent to Washington and put in the archives 
pertaining to the Pension Division, so that if in the future there is a 
claim for pension this record is there; for which reason all causes that 
enter into the disease or injury must be recorded in the medical 
journal, which is open to the inspection of the commanding officer of 
ithe station or the commanding officer of the ship at any moment he 
desires to see it. 

The Chairman. Might not an injury be entered as a severe con- 


318 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


tusion of the right eye, or discoloration, without putting down or 
making any inquiries as to the manner in which it is received? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It might be done, but it would be a direct viola¬ 
tion or the regulations, and I think no medical officer would do it. 

The Chairman. In all cases inquiry would be made as to the origin 
of the injury? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And that would be entered in the medical journal? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That would be entered in the medical journal. 

The Chairman. What then would be done with it? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Then after the entry is made there, in making out 
the morning report to the senior officer present, the name of that mid¬ 
shipman is entered upon the report as sick, and his diagnosis is there 
stated. If he has a black eye, it is a black eye; if he has a broken 
nose, it is a broken nose. It is put in plain English. There is no 
attempt made to enter it according to the nomenclature followed in 
the entries in the medical journal. 

The Chairman. That goes to whom? 

Surgeon Byrnes. To the senior officer in command of the station, 
ship, or here. Here our reports go to the superintendent direct. 

The Chairman. See if you agree with Surgeon Stone’^ testimony 
on that, Doctor. 

Surgeon Stone. If anyone is admitted after the sick call in the morning his name is sent 
down to the commandant, to let them know there that he is in the hospital. 

The Chairman. Wliat would your report to the commandant be? 

Surgeon Stone. Simply his name and class. 

The Chairman. Anything about the injury ? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Anything about how he received it? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Is any inquiry made by you as to how he received it? 

Surgeon Stone. There would naturally be some inquiry if it was not self-evident. 

The Chairman. Were there any of them self-evident, as to how they happened? 

Surgeon Stone. Oftentimes you can form a pretty good idea of how a thing has happened. 

The Chairman Do you ask the student? 

Surgeon Stone. Oh, yes. We generally ask them, just as you would with any other 
patient, to get what history you can of the case. 

That is, I assume he treats it as any doctor in ordinary practice 
would, getting whatever is necessary for the treatment of the case. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; but our investigation must be more 
thorough than that. 

The Chairman. There is the testimony of Doctor Stone as to his 
treatment. He is one of your surgeons? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; he has just been detached. He is 
quite right about that. When these young gentlemen appear in the 
middle of the day, after the report has gone to the superintendent— 
and I take it for granted, in that answer, that the report has left the 
sick quarters and gone to the superintendent—we have what is known 
as an excuse slip. If the boy is injured or is ill enough to be admitted 
to sick quarters, or to occupy his room, we make up this printed excuse 
slip, giving the name and class, and send that to the commandant of 
midshipmen. The disposition of that case is taken up in the journal 
for that day and reported the following morning, with the injury or 
disease, to the superintendent, in the next morning report. 

The Chairman. I do not think that applies, however, because the 
question preceding this, without going into all this testimony, is: 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


319 


When a boy comes in there with an injury, Doctor, tell us what the 
proceeding would be.’’ That is the foundation on which the question 
started. It does not relate to morning or night. The question is: 
When a boy comes n with an injury what would be done? These 
answers are in answer to that foundation question, so that it would 
have no particular reference to night or morning, but to a boy coming 
m with an injury at any time. You say he is right, do I understand, 
in saying that the report to the commandant would be simply as to 
the name and class? 

Surgeon Byrnes. The name and class, and recommending that he 
be excused from all duties and be allowed to occupy his room or enter 
the sick quarters. 

The Chairman. Is there anything about the disease? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Not at that time. 

The Chairman. What time would that be? 

Surgeon Byrnes. After the sick report went to the superintendent. 

The Chairman. How many reports do you make a day to the 
superintendent ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Only one, unless there is a special case; then it 
goes immediately. 

The Chairman. What do you mean? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I mean something that is severe, as reported in 
this memorandum here. That was reported immediately. There 
have been only two cases in my time. I have not been here six 
months. On each occasion a written report was made immediately 
after I had made the diagnosis of the case. 

The Chairman. You have only been here six months? 

Surgeon Byrnes I have not been here six months. 

The Chairman. You say Surgeon Stone is right in saying that the 
name and class would be sent in, but nothing about the injury and 
nothing about how he received it? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Not on that slip. 

The Chairman. When would the slip come in that contained that 
information? 

Surgeon Byrnes. The following morning in the general report of 
sick. We only make one sick report a day, unless there is something 
special. During the epidemic of diphtheria that we had here just as 
soon as a case developed I reported that immediately, but unless a 
case is grave it is not reported immediately and is not reported until 
the following day, provided the young man enters after the morning 
report of the day has gone in to the superintendent. 

Mr. Dawson. Were either of these serious cases of which you speak 
during the past six months the result of fighting ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. One, I think, was hazing. The only case of 
fighting is that last case reported there, where the death occurred. 

Mr. Dawson. One was the Branch-Meriwether affair and the other 
was the Kimbrough affair? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; the Branch-Meriwether case. That is 
the only case that occurred during iny time. The other case was 
hazing, and that is the only one 1 nave seen since I have been here. 

The Chairman. Here is another question that seems to bear upon 
this matter, in the testimony of Surgeon Stone: 

The Chairman. Then no information is developed in sick quarters if a boy comes in with 
a broken jaw as to whether he got it falling downstairs, playing football, being hazed, being 


320 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


engaged in a fight, or in what manner it originated, that is given to any officer in this insti¬ 
tution? 

Surgeon Stone, hio, sir; without it is called for. There is nothing in any order or cus¬ 
tom or rule or regulation, that I know of, that calls for that information to be given. It is 
in the judgment of the senior medical officer. If he thinks that it is something that should 
be reported to the superintendent I presume he reports it to him. 

Surgeon Byrnes. That has been my custom. I do not know what 
preceded me. 

The Chairman. How long has Surgeon Stone been here? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Very nearly two years, I think. I could send 
over to the sick quarters and get the data for you. 

The Chairman. It is not necessary to have it exactly. 

Surgeon Byrnes. I think about two years. 

The Chairman. Then, so far as you know. Surgeon Stone’s answer 
is correct here as to what has been his practice ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. So far as I know. 

The Chairman. Since he has been here? 

Surgeon Byrnes. So far as I know; but the senior medical officer 
whose place I took, whom I relieved, probably did it without any 
reference to the assistants, and in such case there would be a record 
of it over there on file in the letterpress book, for copies are kept of 
all correspondence, you know, and it might have been done without 
Doctor Stone’s knowledge, unless he was told. 

The Chairman. Doctor, we have had a good many cadets here who 
have testified without exception, when asked about going to sick quar¬ 
ters to have injuries treated which were received, that they went to the 
sick quarters with considerable confidence that no information would 
reach the disciplinary officers from that source, unless it was some¬ 
thing that was so severe it would require to be reported. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is, if a boy went over to have a black eye 
painted he went with confidence that it would not go out of the sick 
quarters. Can you tell us if the boys’ confidence is well placed in your 
institution? 

Surgeon Byrnes. You know I came here under the greatest diffi¬ 
culties. I came here and found everything upside down, but in my 
experience there has never been a case that has come to that hospital 
that I have not gone into very searchingly. I have one or two in 
mind that I thought were the result of hazing or fighting, but they 
would not tell me. It was simply impossible. They would not telL 
They will not tell. 

The Chairman. What did you do with such a case? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I kept it on the sick list, you know, and made 
entries in the journal as to the condition in which it was found. 

The Chairman. And reported it to the superintendent? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I repiorted it to the superintendent. 

The Chairman. As what? 

Surgeon Byrnes. As in such and such a condition. 

The Chairman. I suppose you sent the report you made in the 
journal? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Then I would say Not in line of duty,” because 
it was not directly traceable to any cause—I could not get the history. 

The Chairman. Surgeon Stone, if a case came in while he was on 
duty there, would make his own record in the journal, I suppose? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; and then report to me. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


321 


The Chairman. But what you would send in would be the report 
that he would enter? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; the history of the case entered. 

The Chairman . Then while you have been here you have no knowl¬ 
edge that this testimony of Surgeon Stone as to his action is not 
entirely correct? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I think so; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Namely, that he has not considered it his duty to 
make any special record not required for the treatment of the case? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Not required for the treatment of the case. It 
was just admitted as a case, and there it ended after it entered the 
journal. 

The Chairman. You have not given any instructions then to your 
assistants along that line? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; I have. I have instructed everyone of 
them to get at the facts in every case that would come in there. As 
I say, there have only been two that have occurred since I have been 
here. 

The Chairman. The order does not seem to have sunk into Sur¬ 
geon Stone’s mind or to have made an impression on him. 

Surgeon Byrnes. 1 suppose he went along the lines pursued by my 
predecessor. As I say, we had only the two cases that occurred after 
I came here. What happened before that I do not know. 

The Chairman. Let me read that to you again: 

The Chairman. Then no information is developed in sick quarters, if a boy comes in with 
a broken jaw, as to whether he got it falling downstairs, playing football, being hazed, being 
engaged in a fight, or in what manner it originated, that is given to any officer in this insti¬ 
tution? 

Surgeon Stone. No. sir; without it is called for. 

Surgeon Byrnes. I think he must have misunderstood that ques¬ 
tion, because a fractured jaw, if received in a fight, would have to be 
reported. Or, if it is recorded as the result of a fall or an injury in the 
gymnasium, it would have to be so stated. So I do not believe he 
understood that question. 

The Chairman. Well, we asked him the question in a good many 
forms here, covering a good many pages, and he is consistent in his 
answers. Were your other assistants nere before you came? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; well, one preceded me about six weeks, 
and the other preceded me two weeks. At that time, you know, the 
school was practically closed. We had only the fourth class present. 

The Chairman. You do not know whether their views as to their 
duties correspond with those of Surgeon Stone or not ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, I think not, sir; and I am confident that 
Doctor Stone did not take in that question and answer it as it should 
have been answered. 

The Chairman. How do you account for the testimony of the 
boys, that they feel at perfect liberty to go to the surgeon’s quarters 
with a black eye and have it painted, without fear that it would be 
reported ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That I do not know, sir. I can not account for 
that, sir, because, as I say, there has not been anything of the kind dur¬ 
ing my administration except the cases that have been reported, 
one of which resulted seriously. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-21 


B22 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. You say there has not been? In view of Doctor 
Stone's testimony here and the fact that he is in charge part of the 
time and makes entries in the journal a part of the time, I suppose 
you can not be sure as to that ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Not unless it is in direct disobedience of orders, 
because just as soon as the upper class men returned, which was, I 
think, on the 12th day of October—not until we had gotten rid of the 
diphtheria—I gave positive instructions to each medical officer to 
report every case in person to me, while the boy was still in the hos¬ 
pital, so that I could examine him for myself. 

The Chairman. Surgeon Stone received instructions, then, to report 
these cases to you? 

Surgeon Byrnes. He did. 

The Chairman. Going back to this broken jaw case: 

If a boy comes in with his jaw broken, and you ask him how it happened and he tells 
you he received it in a fight, would that be a case of breach of discipline? 

Surgeon Stone. I suppose it would be. 

The Chairman. Would it be your duty to report that to anybody? 

Surgeon Stone. I never understood that it would. 

It seems evident from that, does it not, that Surgeon Stone did not 
understand your instructions ? » 

Surgeon Byrnes. Wliether he applied that to what has gone 
before or not I can not say, but he certainly was in great error when 
he made that answer, because the regulations are positive on that 
subject. The regulations say that where an injury is received and 
where the injured may become a candidate for pension that a record 
in writing must be made immediately to the commanding officer, 
notifying him of the nature of the injury and the seriousness of the 
case. So I do not understand why he should make such an answer 
as that. 

The Chairman. It seems to correspond with the testimony of the 
boys. On this memorandum I notice there are two cases reported 
on November 6. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; 1905. That is the case of Meriwether 
and Branch—the Branch-Meriwether case. 

The Chairman. Yes; one is class 3, November 6, and one is class 
2, November 6. One of those was Branch and the other Meri¬ 
wether. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There was a fight the next night, in Bancroft Hall. 
You do not know whether either of the combatants appeared at the 
hospital or not ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. If I knew their names I could find out for you, 
sir. This is the first I have heard of the fight, even. 

The Chairman. I will endeavor to find the names, and see if they 
appeared at the hospital. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you had any talks with either the super¬ 
intendent of the academy or the commandant of cadets as to the 
management of the hospital as it affects the reports of fighting ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Neither of them have said anything to you? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Nothing at all, except what is in the general 
directions in the regulations. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL. ACADEMY. 


328 


Mr. Gregg. Is it one of these books [indicating] ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; not the academy regulations. I think, 
however, there are instructions in these books pertaining to the sick 
quarters along the lines of the evidence I have been giving. I can 
say that much. Of course, these matters come more directly under 
the observation of the commandant of midshipmen, and in all the 
cases that have occurred since I have been here, the cases that I have 
seen, I have gone to him and he has given me his hearty support in 
the endeavor to unearth these matters—to get at the cases. 

The Chairman. I call your attention to the duties of the senior 
medical officer, which I suppose you are familiar with, in the regula¬ 
tions of the Naval Academy on page 16. That seems to be all there 
is in here. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then where would you find your instructions for 
inquiring into the case of a black eye, as to how it happened, and 
putting it down as fighting? 

Surgeon Byrnes. In the natural interrogation, in entering up the 
case in the journal. You would have to get the cause in order to give 
the cause. Then we would have to depend entirely upon the state¬ 
ment of the boys. We have no authority to compel them to do it. 
If a boy chooses to give one statement when something else is the 
cause, we have to accept it. 

The Chairman. Well, if a boy comes in this morning and has a pair 
of black eyes and says he received them playing football, you would 
not put that down"? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It would not be put down unless I saw signs of 
the toes of the boot over the nose. 

The Chairman. This not being the football season, you would 
know- 

Surgeon Byrnes. I would know differently; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Would that be reported especially to the discip¬ 
linary officers, to be followed up and perhaps class fighting traced out ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It certainly would be, and if it were associated 
with an untruth it most assuredly would be. 

The Chairman. Where do you find in the regulations directions 
for doing that? 

Surgeon Byrnes. There is nothing except what you have shown me. 

The Chairman. And you have had no orders upon that point from 
either the superintendent or the commandant of cadets ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Not since I have been here; no, sir. 

The Chairman. Then why would it occur to a medical officer to 
make inquiries about it which he would not make, I suppose, in 
ordinary practice ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Well, because of the strict requirements of the 
regulations for the government of the Navy. A sample of a medical 
journal is outlined on the front page of each one. We must give 
in every instance the exposure incident to the illness, if it is a medi¬ 
cal case; in a surgical case, the cause of the injury and whether the 
injury was received in the line of duty or not. If in the line of duty 
it is so credited; and if not in the line of duty, it is so credited; then 
stating the reasons why it was not entered in the line of duty. That 
is the only way. We get at these things by interrogation. That, 
of course, is to protect the pension laws. 



324 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Yes, the cause becomes important under the pen¬ 
sion laws. 

Mr. Padgett. But midshipmen are not pensionable? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; they are not officers. They are not 
pensionable. 

The Chairman. You know that section 12 of the interior regula¬ 
tions, or interior discipline and government of the academy requires 
all officers here to report any violations of regulations that come to 
their knowledge. Section 12 on page 7 of the interior discipline 
states: 

It shall be the duty of all officers, naval and civil, at the academy, who have knowledge 
of any violation of a regulation, or any neglect or improper conduct of which a midship¬ 
man has been guilty, to report the fact to the commandant of midshipmen. 

That would seem to require the surgeons, instructors, and any 
other officers, civil or naval, at the academy to report any improper 
conduct which would come within their observation to the com¬ 
mandant of cadets, whether they had had special instruction from 
the superintendent or not. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, yes, sir; that governs it, because in all 
infractions of the regulations which occur among the midshipmen 
while the}^ are under treatment at the sick quarters, I can not control 
them in the least. I can simply make a report of them to the com¬ 
mandant of midshipmen, which I do. I make a report in all those 
cases. If the case is still a graver one I make it to the superintendent, 

The Chairman. This memorandum goes back to October, 1904, 
about a year and four months. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Two academic years, up to the present time. I 
can go back still further. I can go back ten years. I have all the 
records here. 

The Chairman. This shows seven fights occurred in which one or 
both of the combatants were treated at the sick quarters? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Have there been more than that, Mr. Loud, since 
October, 1904? 

Mr. Loud. My information is that there have been a good many 
more than that. 

The Chairman. From the information we have there have been 
twenty fist fights between the 1st of September, 1904, up to the 22d 
of February, 1905. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In that period about twenty fights? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There should be more records in the hospital 
than that, if that is true. 

Surgeon Byrnes. There may be more, you know, Mr. Loud, and 
not be reported. For instance, you take this case of Branch, and I 
think that was about as severe a contest as ever happened here. 
I have forgotten the exact number of hours they fought, now. I 
have it on the record over there; but they had three-minute rounds 
with one minute intervals, and they fought for over three-quarters 
of an hour. When that fight was over young Branch left the room 
and went to his room on the floor above, unaided, without assist¬ 
ance. They got him in there and this is the statement of his room- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


325 


mate, who met him at the door. They stripped him and put him 
under one of the showers, alternately hot and cold, rubbed him 
down, and put him in bed. He was absolutely conscious up to 
half after 9, and the last thing he said was will not be in condi¬ 
tion for mechanical drawing to-morrow, because I will not be able 
to see.’’ Both of his eyes were closing rapidly. That boy laid in 
bed all night long, unconscious, until 7 or half past 7 o’clock in the 
morning, and the case was not reported. His roommate went to 
the table and got his breakfast. He buttered a ro for him, so 
that he would not have to appear in public before going to the sick 
quarters. He carried it up to h m and tried to arouse hum. Mr. 
Branch could not be aroused. He waited for some little time in 
the struggle to arouse him, and then he telephoned to sick quarters, 
to the officer in charge. Doctor Stone, that the midshipman was 
there unconscious, and could not be aroused. They sent down and 
got him, and took him to the sick quarters. I was called immedi¬ 
ately. I saw how serious the case was and notified the superin¬ 
tendent at once. His father was not fied, and we did everything 
we could. In twenty-four hours he was dead, or in about twenty- 
six hours after. There had been nothing said about it. I dare say 
many a fight has occurred in that building that no one knows about 
except the participants. 

The Chairman. No doubt. The autopsy disclosed what, as the 
cause of his death. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Hemorrhage of the brain, under the membrane 
of the brain; not outside of the brain, but beneath. 

The Chairman. Was there any fracture? 

Surgeon Byrnes. There was no fracture caused by the fearful 
impact of the fist or the blow against the wall. The other man 
had his shouider dislocated and his ankle sprained. 

The Chairman. Did Branch recover consciousness? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, no sir; It went right on. 

The Chairman. Well, that would account very well for why he 
did not report. He went to his bed and became unconscious, and 
never recovered consciousness ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. But I used that as an illustration of the efforts 
of the young men among themselves to conceal these things from 
the officer in authority. 

Mr. Loud. Is it probable that young men who receive injuries 
in a fist fight wou d give some other cause to the medical officer? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I hardly think so, sir. They would probably 
refuse to name their antagonists. They would probably do that; 
but when deliberately caught in the act, and after a searching exami¬ 
nation, I do not think they would deny it, or attempt to give another 
cause than what was actually the case, resulting in the injury. 

The Chairman. You do not think they would lie about it? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I do not think so. 

The Chairman. That seems to be one vice that does not prevail 
here. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. You would not expect such a thing in ordinary mat¬ 
ters, but in a case of fighting it might be considered a subject where 
it would be excusable? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 


326 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Loud. Just the same as an officer on duty at formation 
excuses midshipmen from reporting if it is known that a fight is 
the cause? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I do not know that, sir. That is a part I 
never got at. 

The Chairman. I think our investigation here has disclosed 
quite strongly the fact that among the many sins the midshipmen 
have, lying is very rare among them here? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It is very rare, sir. I have never caught one 
of them yet. 

Mr. Loud. As I understand, it means Coventry with his own 
classmates, always ? 

Mr. Dawson. Has there ever been a case where on asking a boy 
as to the cause of an iniury he replied that he preferred not to 
answer ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir. He has generally told whatever the 
cause was, in my investigations. 

Mr. Gregg. As I understood your evidence. Doctor, there is a 
sick report made by you every morning to the superintendent. Is 
that correct? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. That includes what? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That includes every case-- 

Mr. Gregg. Not reported in the preceding sick report? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. For instance, we have on one fine 
'^February 23; John Smith, midshipman second class, with so and 
so; contusion of the face; broken leg; admitted.’’ Next morning 
his name appears again, and his condition for that morning, whether 
he is doing well, whether he has improved, or whether he is worse. 
That is set out each morning as long as his name is borne on the 
fist. 

Mr. Gregg. And in that report you give the cause of the injury, 
if it is a personal injury? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. If, however, some one reports to the sick quarters 
after that morning report has been made, you then simply send 
down to the commandant- 

Surgeon Byrnes. An excuse slip. 

Mr. Gregg. To show that he is excused for that day from duty? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. That does not show anything but the name and 
class ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That is all. Then his name and class and the 
injury occurs on the next morning report that goes to the super¬ 
intendent. 

Mr. Loud. And the cause? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No; not the cause. 

Mr. Loud. That is simply to excuse him for that day? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That is all. 

Mr. Loud. But next morning the cause is shown? 

Surgeon Byrnes. The next morning the cause is shown. 

Mr. Loud. In every case? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; it shows the diagnosis, the date of 
admission, the nature of the injury or disease, whatever it may 
be, etc. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 327 

Mr. Gregg. As I understand you, then, the cause of injury is not 
shown in either report ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Does not every man come in after the last sick 
report has been sent in ? 

Mr. Loud. It would be an emergency case, undoubtedly, every 
time. When would you make the entries? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It would go to the journal that day, as soon 
as he is admitted. The entry is made then and there, and an excuse 
slip is sent down to the commandant. The morning report, on the 
following morning, is sent to the superintendent. 

Mr. Loud. You say that neither one would show the cause? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Not on the morning report of sick. 

Mr. Loud. It would be on the journal? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It would be on the journal. 

Mr. Loud. But it would not reach the commandant or the super¬ 
intendent either? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir. Would you like to see a copy of the 
morning report of sick? . 

The Chairman. We had the journal here the other day. 

Surgeon Byrnes. It is a report of all the cases which go to the 
superintendent. It is what is known as the morning report of sick. 

The Chairman. No; I think the information you give is just as 
good. Doctor. 

Mr. Padgett. Doctor, the way I understand your statement is 
that under the arrangement of the two reports the cause of the 
injury is not sent either to the commandant or to the superintendent? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That is right, sir. It is not sent. 

Mr. Gregg. That is what I understood. 

The Chairman. I understood you to testify in the beginning 
that was all sent as it was entered? 

Mr. Gregg. I think he conveyed that impression at first, but I 
do not think he intended to say that. He did, in his first evidence. 

Surgeon Byrnes. I did not intend to. 

Mr. Padgett. It onty states what the injury is and not the cause? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. But your journal shows the cause? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I read from the testimony of Doctor Stone, in 
which he said no report had been made. Did you understand me to 
mean that no entry had been made? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; that is what I understood. It sur¬ 
prised me. 

The Chairman. We were speaking about a report, whether that 
would reach the disciplinary officer or not ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, no. 

Mr. Gregg. Doctor, you have stated that you remember dis¬ 
tinctly two cases where you inouired very diligently into the cause 
and that the boys simply would not tell? 

Surgeon Byrnes. That is true, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it not a fact that if it is an injury received at 
football, or at the gymnasium, or in any other way not contrary 
to the regulations, they will tell you the cause? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 


328 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Gregg. Well, then, if it is received from some act which is 
in violation of the regulations, their answer would be they did not 
care to say. Is that not so? 

Surgeon Byrnes. They do not care to say; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Does not that fact put you upon inquiry as to whether 
or not it was received in violation of the regulations ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; and it is so stated in the journal: ‘ ^Not 
in the line of duty.” That covers it. 

Mr. Gregg. Then when you are convinced that it was received in 
some violation of the regulations your only entry is, ^^Not in the line 
of duty?” 

Surgeon Byrnes. ^^Not in the line of duty,” yes, sir. That is 
all we can do, you know. 

Mr. Gregg. Now, this is a list which you have presented to us, 
being the ^ ^number of cases admitted to sick quarters as the result 
of fighting among midshipmen from October 1, 1904, to present 
date,” which is February 19, 1906, that being the date of the memo¬ 
randum ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. I understand that this is a list of those where the 
medical officer at the time was satisfied the injury was the result of 
a fight ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; and it is so entered. 

Mr. Gregg. But it is not a list of all who reported there with 
personal injuries, is it? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, no; this is simply the fighting record. 

Mr. Gregg. In other words, this is a list of such as you were 
satisfied were from fighting? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir, and so recorded. 

Mr. Gregg. At the time of their entry into sick quarters? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir, and so recorded. 

Mr. Gregg. But it is not a list of all who reported there with 
personal injuries? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, I think not. 

The Chairman. Then such as did not give the cause of the injury, 
whether from fighting or otherwise, would not be included on tms 
list? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I think not; these are simply cases- 

Mr. Loud. That would explain the deficiency then. 

Mr. Gregg. This list shows cases as to wliich you were satis¬ 
fied when they were admitted they were from fighting? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But where they did not tell the cause, this does not 
show it ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. To me it does not, because I do not know the 
records beyond the 1st of September last, except what I read. I 
have no personal knowledge of it. 

Mr. Gregg. I think I have got it right. This shows that the 
surgeon in charge was satisfied at the time it was a fight and so 
entered it at the time as the result of a fight? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But it does not include other injuries where he did 
not know the cause—other personal injuries? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No. Doctor Stone's statement to me was 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 329 

that the committee would like to have a list of cases admitted for 
fighting, so I had them go through the journal. 

Mr. Gregg. And that is the way it was registered there at the 
time? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; that is the way it is on record there 
at the time. 

Mr. Gregg. Is that clear now? 

Mr. Loud. Yes; we understand it. 

The Chairman. AVho went over the records. Doctor? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I had the hospital steward and the quarter¬ 
master go over them. 

The Chairman. That does not cover the cases where they declined 
to state the cause of the injury? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Will you have them go over the list again during 
this -same period and find out what cases, if any, there were where 
midshipmen refused to state the cause of the injury? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Well, that record is not available, because 
this record was taken from the yearly abstract wliich gives the 
names, age, injury, and so on, and whether it was on duty or not on 
duty, but that he declined to answer as to the cause would not be 
recorded. 

Mr. Gregg. You could give us a list of all who reported with 
personal injuries? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, but I could not tell whether that would be 
the outcome of fights or not. 

The Chairman. Suppose you have that collated for us in the 
same form, if you will ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Between the same dates I have there? 

The Chairman. Yes, between the same dates. 

Surgeon Byrnes. You do not want the name, but simply the 
class and nature of the injury. Is that it? 

Mr. Gregg. We do not care about the names. 

The Chairman. Oh, no. 

Mr. Gregg. There is one question that I would like to ask. You 
stated that a surgeon was present at all times during drills or exer¬ 
cises at the gymnasium? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. So that you would have a record then of anybody 
who was at the gymnasium? 

Surgeoti Byrnes. Yes, sir; I would have that record. 

Mr. Gregg. There would be no possible chance of anybody 
throwing it off on the gymnasium when it was not received at the 
gymnasium ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; they could not, because the moment 
the injury is received there is a slip made out with a diagnosis, if 
it is serious enough to come to the sick quarters, describing the nature 
of the injury, how it was received, and that is signed by the medical 
officer and sent with the injured man to sick quarters. 

Mr. Gregg. Then if a midshipman were disposed to deceive you 
and claimed that the injury was received in the gymnasium you 
could detect the deception? 

Surgeon Byrnes. It would not be possible, because the medical 
officer is required to be there ever}^ moment. 


330 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Gkegg. The midshipmen could not deceive you as to that 
then ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Is the same not true of football, as well as of the 
gymnasium ? 

Mr. Gregg. Is that true of football ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir; that same medical officer is present 
on the field during a game—and baseball, too. 

Mr. Gregg. There is no chance to lay it to football, baseball, or 
the gymnasium? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; it would not be possible. 

The Chairman. Doctor, in order to clear this matter up, I would 
like to read you again this question that was asked of Doctor Stone: 

The Chairman. Then no information is developed in sick quarters, if a boy comes in 
with a broken jaw, as to whether he got it falling downstairs, playing football, being 
hazed, being engaged in a fight, or in what manner it originated, that is given to smf other 
ofiBcer in this institution? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir; without it is called for. 

That is where you think he must have misunderstood the question ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes; he must. In case of a broken jaw, an 
injury as serious as that, I make a report in writing myself to the 
superintendent stating the cause. I have that to do. I am required 
to do it. 

The Chairman. Then he was wrong only as to an injury of con¬ 
siderable degree? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. As to a lesser injury, he would be right, would he? 

Surgeon Byrnes. He would be right about a lesser injury, for I 
would not report that myself. 

The Chairman. Do you not think there is a pretty wide hole in 
the disciplinary management of the institution. Doctor, in that infor¬ 
mation as to these minor offenses of fighting, which might have been 
class fighting, that comes to you does not reach the disc plinary part 
of the institution? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Well, of course, I can not speak for others. I 
am now speaking for myself- 

The Chairman. We are speaking of the system, and not about 
anybody in particular. I am asking about the system, if that is not 
a gap that ought to be closed up. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, I agree with you; and if you had seen 
some of the things I have seen here in one or two cases you would 
want it closed up very much. I am speaking now especially of the 
Kimbrough case, when he was brought in, after standing on his head 
over one hundred times, unconscious, followed by delirium and shock 
so great that I thought he would die. I was with him the greater 
part of the night. That is a gap that I want filled up. I thought 
that it might be my boy. 

The Chairman. Well, Doctor, my theory about your sick quarters 
is this: It has been thoroughly developed that class fighting is the 
weapon by which submission to hazing and running is compelled. 
The boy who refuses to submit must fi^t. 

Surgeon Byrnes. That was Meriwether’s case exactly. 

The Chairman. I think that was a personal difference between 
the two men. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


331 


Surgeon Byrnes. Oh, I mean before that. That brought him into 
Coventry. 

The Chairman. You mean Meriwether? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I mean Meriwether. He just simply would not 
stand for it, and he whipped everything ahead of him during his first 
year. 

The Chairman. Then class fighting is the one weapon with which 
they enforce hazing? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I expect it is. 

The Chairman. That class fighting may sometimes not be dis¬ 
covered when it takes place in the rooms, but if an injury is received 
sufficient so that they come over here, even for a pair of black eyes, 
there is immediate tangible evidence that a violation of the rules of 
the academy has taken place. That information should certainly 
in all cases be furnished to the disciplinary officers. There seems 
to be a gap in the getting of information about violations which 
should be corrected. Then, in view of your understanding now that 
none of the causes of minor accidents are reported to the disciplinary 
officers, the confidence of the boys in coming to the sick quarters for 
treatment about these minor accidents can be understood. 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes; I suppose they view it from that stands 
point. 

Mr. Dawson. Doctor, I believe you stated that during the past 
six months there had been two cases of sick calls where there were 
evidences that the boys had been either in a fight or had been hazed, 
but on diligent inquiry on your part you could not elicit the informa¬ 
tion from them. 

Surgeon Byrnes. From neither of them; but in the Kimbrough 
case I got the information from the officer in charge. I was in the 
sick quarters at the time, and I sent for the boy and received him. 
The second case was that of a boy who had a mild type of hysteria. 
I made a searching examination of that boy. His trouble took 
on the character of paralysis. A more marked case of paralysis I 
never saw than in this boy. He was brought out of the recitation 
hall at the time. He was taken ill at recitation. I searched that 
boy; I questioned him for three days, and he denied that he had been 
hazed. His mother came to see me two weeks ago, and she told me 
that after he had recovered, and while he was still in the sick quar¬ 
ters, he wrote to her and stated that he did not think his trouble was 
the result of hazing, as he had only been hazed once in a week, about 
a week before, and that was immediately preceding the time he was 
admitted for this paralysis. It is almost impossible to get it out of 
them. 

The Chairman. Those are the two cases you know of? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Those are the only two that have occurred in 
my experience here. 

"The Chairman. That was the case of young Cooper? 

Surgeon Byrnes. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. He subsequently stated it under oath before the 
board of investigation that in his opinion hazing had nothing to do 
with it. 

Surgeon Byrnes. And he wrote to his mother; his mother came 
to see me about it, and told me that he had been hazed a week before. 

The Chairman. You say young Kimbrough was made to stand on 


332 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


his head over one hundred times. Are you familiar with the exercise 
they call going on the head? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, I am not. That was his statement after he 
recovered consciousness. 

The Chairman. Was he not sent on his head several hundred times ? 

Surgeon Byrnes. I do not believe he could stand it. As it was 
the shock was something very severe. I thought h-o would die. 

The Chairman. We find numerous cases where they have gone on 
the head 250, 350, and 400 times. 

Surgeon Byrnes. This boy was of a delicate organization; brought 
up by his grandparents. He is not an aggressive boy. He is not 
a boy who would get up and knock another down. He would do 
anything before he would do that; but he did have the courage to 
keep his mouth shut when I tried to find out how he was injured. 
We never would have learned it if Lieutenant-Commander McVay 
had not found him in bed. He was the discipline officer of the day. 
He opened the door and looked in and found the boy unconscious. 
He looked in as an accident; he said he did not know why he did it. 
The floor was covered with water, where he had evidently fainted 
during the first time, and they had thrown water over Mm, and when 
he lost consciousness they picked Mm up and threw him on the bed 
and left him. He would have stayed there but for an accident, had 
Mr. McVay not looked in. 

The Chairman. He might have died before morning? 

Surgeon Byrnes. He very likely would have died. The very 
statement I am making now was made before the court during the 
trial of Midshipman Coffin, who was dismissed, and who deserved it. 

The Chairman. Are you pretty familiar with the conditions since 
you have been here? 

Surgeon Byrnes. No, sir; because I have had just as much as I 
could do. I have carried this institution through two epidemics, 
one of typhoid fever and one of diphtheria. It has kept me very 
busy. 

The Chairman. I would like to ask you. Doctor—this is a limited 
neighborhood, and you all keep fairly well informed—if it is your 
opinion that the present disciplinary management are active and 
energetic in their efforts to maintian discipline and to stamp out tMs 
hazing. 

Surgeon Byrnes. I can truthfully answer that question, because 
every disciplinary officer, every officer of the line and instructor here, 
has determined from the very beginning of this thing, after the death 
of that boy, that they would stamp it out if possible. That is my 
opinion. We have an institution here for housing 900 or 1,000 boys, 
and you can realize how difficult it is for a disciplinary officer to keep 
watch over that number of boys. There are over 400 rooms—500 
rooms—scattered over a very great area. I do not know exactly 
how many rooms there are. Tl^ey do not have discipline officers 
enough. There should be more, and yet they have not them to spare. 

STATEMENT OF LIEUT. COMMANDEE B. C. DECKEE, U. S. NAVY. 

Lieut. Commander B. C. Decker, U. S. Navy, appeared before 
the subcommittee. 

The Chairman. Please state your full name. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


333 


Lieutenant-Commander Decker. B. C. Decker, lieutenant-com¬ 
mander, United States Navy. 

The Chairman. How long have you been attached to the academy 
as a disciplinary ofhcer? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Since last September. 

The Chairman. Were you here in any other capacity before that 
time ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir; I was here during the 
previous academic year as instructor in mathematics. 

The Chairman. So that you were familiar with the atmosphere 
of the place before you took your present assignment ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What year did you graduate? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. 1887. 

The Chairman. To what extent did hazing prevail during your 
school years? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. During my fourth class year, es¬ 
pecially on the summer practice cruise, there was considerame of it. 
The third class was invest gated and a number of them were d smissed 
for it. I think about 18 of that class, altogether, were dismissed 
from it. Then from time to time during my course there were out¬ 
breaks of it, but none that I personally knew much about, except one. 
I was in one investigation, when I was a fourth class man. Some 
midshipmen came into my room and had my roommate and myself 
stand on our heads. That was all. * 

The Chairman. Did about the same practices prevail then in the 
line of hazing that prevail now ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I should say not entirely; no, 
sir. I do not think in my time any of it was so severe as it has been 
brought out in these recent investigations. We did not have the 
sixteenth, for instance, which has produced so much exhaustion, and 
the standing on the head was different. We were actually stood on 
our heads; but this thing of making a man get down and put his head 
on the floor, and do it repeatedly, we did not know about. I never 
heard of that. This fagging system is absolutely new. We had none 
of that. 

The Chairman. As far as your inquiry informed you, how far back 
does this fagging system go ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Well, from what I have heard— 
I was not on the investigating board that investigated it—it was 
within the last two or three years. 

The Chairman. Have the classes ever been quartered together be¬ 
fore Bancroft Hall was finished ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Do you mean in my time? 

The Chairman. Yes; that is, before Bancroft Hall was completed 
and the different classes put there, were they not quartered about in 
different parts of the grounds? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir; I do not know just how 
they were quartered. 

The Chairman. The fourth class by itself in some building, for 
instance ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I have heard the midshipmen say 
th^ were quartered apart, by classes. 

The Chairman. That is our information. That would account for 


334 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


the fact that menial services were not required, before the fourth 
class men were away from the first class men where they cou d not 
bring their meals to them, and could not have performed other acts 
required of them along that line ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Well, in my time we were not 
altogether quartered by classes, and we never saw anything like that 
and never heard of it. 

The Chairman. In your time you were not quartered all in neo 
building ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir. For three years I lived 
in one of the old buildings down at the lower end of the yard. One of 
the divisions lived there. 

The Chairman. Was your class there? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No; it was an entire division, 
composed of different classes. 

The Chairman. They were mixed up? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your understanding is that these humiliating 
requirements, like sending boys under the table to eat their dinner 
there, and practices of like nature, have been of long standing; or 
have they grown up in more recent years ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think they are more recent. I 
judge that. I know it was not so in my time, and from what I have 
heard the officers say since—the lieutenants around here—I have 
never heard that it was dc^e. In my time there was a very general 
sentiment about menial services and degrading things. The general 
sentiment of the whole school was against such things as lowering the 
dignity of a young man who came here to be an officer. It was not 
permitted nor indulged in. 

The Chairman. Commander, the whole foundation of the discipline 
among the cadets is built upon the fidelity of the cadet officers, is it 
not ? That is the foundation of it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir; that must be, I imagine. 

The Chairman. Four disciplinary officers who are not all of them 
on duty all the time could not possibly supervise 800 or 900 cadets. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No. 

The Chairman. And personally know that they did not commit 
violations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It would be largely a matter of chance if they were 
able to detect it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I should think so. Of course, I 
feel in this way- 

The Chairman. Hence the discipline of the academy rests upon the 
fidelity of these cadet officers and their sense of responsibility in car¬ 
rying out their duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That and the general sense of the 
midshipmen themselves that they are under oath when they enter the 
Navy to obey the regulations, and that they do not, as a rule, willingly 
or wittingly disobey the regulations. 

The Chairman. That sense of duty must, of course, extend to the 
midshipmen, and the sentiment among the midshipmen must uphold 
the cadet officers in doing their duty? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes,'sir; I think so. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


335 


The Chairman. How do you account for what seems to be the 
total breakdown of that system, as developed in the last few months, 
or as shown to exist in the last few months? I do not mean that it 
commenced then, but that it ended. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think it is due primarily to 
the lack of proper supervision. All young men get their ideals and 
impetus from those who are over them. If they have no one over 
them, they naturally follow their own standards and ideals. There 
was a lack of that good example, in having officers over them, when 
they were quartered about in different places in the yard, and the fact 
that they did not have officers solely engaged in that work, who could 
give their time and attention to it, I think, has resulted in that. 

The Chairman. There has been no change in the number of offi¬ 
cers; no addition to the number of officers who are disciplinary 
officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. 1 presume the board is not 
acquainted with the fact that we now have four discipline officers who 
have nothing else to do. 

The Chairman. I understood you have always had four. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not previously. I do not know 
how it was before, but last year there were, I think, ten officers who 
were the discipline officers, as they call them, and who were instruc¬ 
tors in the different departments. They came on duty once, in their 
regular turns, in about ten days. 

The Chairman. Last year, if we are correctly informed, there were 
four disciplinary officers. One was on duty at Bancroft Hall every 
fourth day and remained there twenty-four hours. The others, as 
we understood, were still disciplinary officers, but they accompanied 
the cadets and instructed them in drills and that sort of training. Is 
it your understanding that some of these were instructors, to hear 
classes ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. My understanding was they were 
all of them instructors, and that there was no supervision—that there 
were about ten of them, and they were instructors in the various 
departments, and that was simply one of their duties. 

The Chairman. Our understanding was that every fourth day one 
of these four men went to Bancroft Hall on duty for twenty-four 
hours. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. My understanding was it was 
every tenth day. 

Mr. Padgett. I understood that that was originated by Admiral 
Sands this last fall. That is my recollection. 

The Chairman. I understand that at present four disciplinary offi¬ 
cers are at Bancroft Hall all the time; that is, that they have their 
offices there in charge of a division, and that that is a distinct change 
over the previous plan of having only one man there every fourth day. 
That is the impression I had in mind. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That is not as I understood it. 
I was not one of those officers, so my information may be inexact, but 
from my talks with the other officers, and because this subject of dis¬ 
cipline interested me very much last year, I was told by them that 
they came on in regular turns one in ten days, and that during the 
time between they all had their day's duty; that they were also 
engaged during the day as instructors. 


336 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Is it your opinion that at present, under the pres¬ 
ent system, the disciplinary force is sufficient to give proper supervi¬ 
sion, such as you speak of? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think so; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You think four is a sufficient number to supervise 
and to impress upon the midshipmen the ideas of their superiors as to 
the performance of their duties? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think so; yes, sir. If we had 
more it would tend to destroy that uniformity in action which is 
absolutely necessary, as far as possible, in carrying out the work. 

The Chairman. Do the four disciplinary officers consult with each 
other so as to secure uniformity of action? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Very, very frequently. Nearly 
every day we will meet together and have something to tell, so that 
we know what is going on all the time, between ourselves. 

The Chairman. There is a young man named Williams, who 
appeared here yesterday, and requested to be heard. His request 
was granted. We understand he has been dismissed from the academy 
for being too energetic along some lines, and not enough along others. 
I would like to ask you a few questions in relation to the matters 
brought out by him; but in order to do so we will have to have the 
book in which the offenses charged against him appear. While we 
are waiting for the book I wish to ask you about one missing link, as 
it seems to us—a serious gap in the collection of official information for 
disciplinary purposes. It is not within your province to correct it, 
but it may be that you can help correct it. The evidence that we have 
taken seems to show conclusively that if a boy comes to the sick 
quarters with an injury received in a fight, unless it is of quite a 
serious nature, while it is entered on the records, no report of it is 
made to any disciplinary officer, or to the commandant of cadets or 
superintendent. Class fighting appears to be the instrument by 
which upper class men compel obedience of lower class men to submit 
to exercises under hazing and running. It has seemed to the com¬ 
mittee that that would be a prolific source of information as to viola¬ 
tions of the regulations by fighting, having especially reference to 
class fighting. It seems to us that if the system of class fighting can 
be detected and punished and broken up it would rob the upper class 
men of the very strongest instrument they have for enforcing hazing. 
The surgeon testified that they have no instructions to report, and it 
is not their understanding that they should report, minor injuries 
received in fighting, which are entered as fighting on their records. 
We desire to ask you if, in your opinion, this is not a loss of informa¬ 
tion which should not occur? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. There are two sides to that 
question. One would be that if the midshipmen felt they were going 
to be reported for such things as that there might be a tendency to 
cover it up, and not go there. That is one side or it, of course. That, 
I imagine, is the reason why the doctors have always held out against 
reporting things that come to their attention as doctors. 

The Chairman. Do you understand they have held out, that they 
have taken that position? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not in this particular case. 

The Chairman. I mean, as a matter of general practice, has that 
been their position ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


337 


Lieutenant-Commander Decree. I think it has been. I remem¬ 
ber there was a contention to that effect. They did not like to show 
the medical journal, at one time. 

The Chairman. When was that? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Some years ago, in the service, 
and to this day, practically, the journal aboard ship is only submitted 
to the captain. He sees the dinerent diseases, for instance, that the 
officers or men are suffering from aboard ship. The captain is the 
only one who is supposed to see it. Now, the doctors and officers on 
board ship are required to submit a statement that they have been on 
the sick list for alcoholism, the use of drugs, or things of that kind, 
which tends to show depraved moral conditions. Butin regard to 
the midshipmen, they will submit that information very quickly if 
it is ordered to be submitted. 

The Chairman. It is entirely subject to the direction of the super¬ 
intendent, the same as any other thing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Entirely, the same as any other 
thing. 

The Chairman. Well, Commander, as a general principle that is 
undoubtedly a correct position for a medical man to take, that the 
diseases men have should not be given to the public. They should 
only be given to the captain of the ship in the case you have cited, but 
here you find an entirely different situation. Here you find that 
injuries of this class received in fighting—especially class fighting— 
are very important as a part of the disciplinary information of the 
establishment. You are trying to break up hazing. Class fighting 
is the great instrument used to enforce hazing. A large number of 
cases come to the hospital, which disclose fighting, perhaps class fight¬ 
ing. Then it seems to the committee that the sick quarters are, in 
respect to that class of patients, upon an entirely different basis from 
that which exists in respect to ordinary cases treated upon a ship or 
in a hospital. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Take this case. A young man 
who is hurt in fighting may not know how seriously he is hurt at all. 
He has no idea of its seriousness, but he knows if he comes here to the 
sick quarters he is going to take the chance of being reported for it, 
and take the chance of getting a serious report. He will take the 
chance of getting over that, if he can, before he will come here. 

The Chairman. Well, let us follow that up. Suppose a boy has a 
pair of black eyes—not dangerous, but very much in evidence. He 
does not go to the sick quarters because it will be reported to the dis¬ 
ciplinary officers, and questions will be asked about it. Then he can 
do one of two things. If he stays in his room, and misses formations, 
then he is found out, and the reason is inquired into. The inspection 
of his room would show he was there. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And the fact that the report of the officer in 
charge of the formation would show that he was not there would lead 
to an investigation? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes. 

The Chairman. If he does appear at formation with a pair of 
black eyes the officer in charge would probably notice it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No. Among 900 of them the 
officer in charge might not see him. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-22 


338 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Are there that many at one formation ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How often does that take place? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Three times a day. 

The Chairman. The whole brigade assembles three times a day? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. At meal formation; yes, sir. It 
depends upon that fundamental feature that you spoke or some time 
ago, sir, of every midshipman doing liis duty. If the midshipman 
officer of the day does his duty that would be found out. 

The Chairman. And if he goes to classes it would be found out? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, there is another place. If 
he went to the section room, a midshipman officer there might get 
after him about it. 

The Chairman. I can not see any place that a boy could go to with 
a pair of black e^^es where he would not meet with some officer con¬ 
nected with the institution. If he stayed in his room detection is 
certain. So I am unable to see why, if this gap is closed in the 
hospital, the evidences of fighting can be concealed. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. For instance, you take the officer 
in the section room. He says, ‘' I am here to teach these young men 
things.^’ He has his whole mind centered on teaching them. A 
midshipman comes in, and he may see this young man with a black 
eye and he may ask him or he may not think to ask him where he got 
that eye. He may think to himself, ^ ‘ There is somebody down at 
Bancroft Hall who is supposed to look out for that end of the job, 
I am looking out for teaching them.’’ That is the way a young man 
escapes. 

The Chairman. It is evident that if you have nine or ten hundred 
cadets here, and all but two or three officers take the ground that 
somebody else is looking after them, there will not be anybody look¬ 
ing after them. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That is the great trouble. 

The Chairman. Rule 12 states: 

It shall be the duty of all oflBcers, naval and civil, at the academy, who have knowl¬ 
edge of any violation of a regulation, or of any neglect, or improper conduct of which a 
midshipman has been guilty, to report the fact to the conunandant of midshipmen. 

The rules at West Point, which were adopted since the outbreak of 
hazing there five years ago, have the same requirement, applying to 
every officer connected with the institution, except that it states that 
they shall report any evidence tending to show that violations have 
been committed. I understand that in the new regulations to be 
published here that language will be adopted, making it the duty of 
every officer connected with the academy to report any evidences 
wffich tend to show that a violation of the regulations has been com¬ 
mitted. With your limited number of officers, four to a thousand 
midshipmen, it would seem that you must enlist the cooperation of all 
of the naval officers connected with your establishment. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Particularly the surgeons in the sick quarters. Of 
course that does not mean that the committee puts ordinary personal 
encounters growing out of personal differences, which always to some 
extent prevail among so many young men, on a par with class fight¬ 
ing, which no doubt you agree with us is an exceedingly cowardly and 
unmanly practice and which should be sternly repressed. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


339 


Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Commander, the practices called running pre¬ 
vailed, I suppose, last year and the year before to as great an extent 
as they have been shown to prevail here during the present year ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I can not say, sir. I was not 
here. I was not in company with the midshipmen. 

The Chairman. You were here in another capacity? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. Nothing of that kind 
ever came under my observation. All I know is from the testimony 
which came out before the general court-martial, which I listened to 
with a good deal of interest. It was brought out that that had been 
going on. 

The Chairman. Outside of physical hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. They had what they 
called their running system. I was informed last year when I asked 
about it that it was absolutely stopped. That information was given 
me by some officers who were supposed to know. I asked them on 
what they based their information. I asked one officer directly. He 
said he based it on what the midsliipmen had told him. 

The Chairman. Of course they construed hazing to mean physical 
hazing and nothing else? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. Under the definition 
of hazing which was adopted by the court-martial and the board of 
investigation a great amount of it prevailed last year. 

Mr. Loud. I think the commander has told us that publicity here 
in the hospital would tend to the concealment of injuries by the cadets. 
On the other hand, would it not have a tendency to lessen the amount 
of that practice ? Would there not be a less number of fights if it was 
known by not only the principals, but the seconds and timekeepers, 
and referees, and everyone? Would there not be a less number of 
fights occurring if they knew that publicity was sure to follow ? Is 
not that the probability? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I could not say, sir. That would 
depend on the nature of the young men, I think, more than anything 
else, and I think the nature of young men is to take chances on a thing 
of that kind. 

Mr. Loud. Exactly; but if there is no chance, if there is a certainty 
that he is confronted by that condition, would there not be less infrac¬ 
tion of the law as a probability? Would that not be the case if they 
knew they would surely come up against the disciplinary officers if 
they broke the rule ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think that would be the tend¬ 
ency. Certain punishment always tends to reduce offenses, I think. 

Mr. Loud. But knowing that the offenses will be smothered and can 
not come to the attention of the disciplinary officers, they are ready to 
take chances? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir; I think that is so, too. 

Mr. Loud. And so it is our conclusion that the door ought to be 
closed, or at least that the disciplinary officers should know what is 
going on, and in that way suppress the practice. 

The Chairman. Commander, is it your opinion that any good to the 
the midshipmen comes out of anything that is covered by the practice 
of hazing ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Hazing? No, sir. I do not 


340 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


think any good comes from hazing whatever, sir. I do not see how it 
possibly could. 

The Chaieman. You say you were hazed liberally while you were a 
student ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I have never had any such haz¬ 
ing as was brought out in this trial. 

The Chairman. You were not injured by the hazing which you 
received as a student? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think you were benefited any? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not a bit. I think it was a joke 
more than anything else. I always did think so. I do not think it 
had any effect either way. 

The Chairman. Is not the great trouble with the system of hazing 
the fact that, while many of the practices would be comparatively 
harmless, that it nearly always grows and spreads until in the hands 
of imprudent boys injury is pretty sure to result. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think that Ls the tendency of 
any irresponsible action. 

The Chairman. For what particular reason do you think the prac¬ 
tices should be entirely stamped out ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Because I think it is contrary to 
all military discipline to have anything permitted that is not con¬ 
trolled absolutely under orders. If it is controlled, you can hold some¬ 
body responsible for any abuse of authority. But under the present 
system the whole tendency is to cover up the abuse in such cases, 
because they all know they are liable no matter how little they know. 

Mr. Gregg. The military tactics contain a regular set of what they 
call setting-up exercises ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Which are intended for the development of the phys¬ 
ical man? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. I understand that those exercises have been practically 
suspended here. Is that correct ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not to my knowledge. 

Mr. Gregg. At least, that those exercises are given so little as to 
amount to practically doing away with them. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I do not know. I know during 
the summer time these young men who came in were given the exer¬ 
cise regularly with the idea of setting them up. 

Mr. Gregg. What do you call regularly? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think twice a day, at regular 
times. Since that time it may be that they have considered the other 
atliletics have taken the place of those exercises. I do not know. 

Mr. Gregg. The fact of the boys, without authority, administering 
these exercises has not had anytlmg to do away with the other exer¬ 
cises ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Oh, no, sir. That is not recog¬ 
nized in our system at all, sir. 

The Chairman. A young man testified before us that what they call 
these setting-up exercises, which I suppose are given for the purpose 
of giving a young man a military carriage and military bearing, were 
only had three times in how long? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 341 

Mr. Gregg. In this academic year. He stated that the books which 
we have here prescribed it, and that it showed only three. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. This is what he refers to [indi¬ 
cating]. 

Mr. Gregg. \\ hat date does that programme there begin with? 

Lieutpant-Commander Decker. It begins with the opening of the 
academic year. 

Mr. Gregg. October? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. It does not cover the period, then- 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. The summer instruction is in the 
book here, I think. 

Mr. Gregg. Can you tell from that how often they were submitted 
to those setting-up exercises during the summer? He said we could 
find it given for the summer here, and find out how often it was given 
to them during the summer. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I can not say, because it is put 
down here as ‘‘armory” and “gymnasium,” for instance, and you 
see here “ordnance,” and so on. Their instruction is put down 
there. It comes under the head of ordnance drill—the setting-up 
exercises. In the evening some of them went to the armory where 
they had the exercises, and some would go to the gymnasium for 
gymnastics in the evening. 

Mr. Gregg. From this you can not tell how often they were 
drilled in the setting-up exercises? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No; it simply says that they go 
to ordnance, and the setting-up exercises are a part of the ordnance 
work. 

Mr. Gregg. It is only a part, however? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Only a part. They may have 
had other drills—gun drill and infantry drill, and such things as that. 

Mr. Gregg. Were you here last summer? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir; I w^as on the practice 
cruise. 

The Chairman. Now we will go back to the case of Mr. Williams. 
On November 11, “disorderly conduct in corridor” and “ in corridor 
out of uniform.” There are two offenses charged in the same trans¬ 
action, for which he received 5 demerits and 3 demerits, respectively. 
He contested that. Have you any recollection about it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. My impression is that that is 
a case, as I remember it, in the morning. I can not tell if that is it or 
not. I think that is the time I reported him, when I was going to 
inspection about 6.35, or around about that time. I came around in 
his corridor, and he came down the corridor wdth a most fiendish yell, 
which he called the “Black Diamond Express.” It was something 
he had been perpetrating on the people for some time and we had not 
been able to catch him. I heard it outside, and I ran into the build¬ 
ing to find out who did it. I found him coming down the corridor 
with a pair of running drawers on, cut off above the thighs. He had 
no reason for being in the corridor at that time of day whatever. His 
bathroom is in his room, and there was no reason why he should have 
left it. I reported him for being out of uniform and for disorderly 
conduct. 

The Chairman. On the 14th of the same month he is reported for 


342 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


sitting in window—3 demerits. He denies that, and that is all he 
says about it; that he did not do it. It was reported by Midshipman 
Williamson, whom I suppose made the round with you—the cadet 
officers. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think that is perhaps a time 
when I went into his room. The regulations are that they shall sit 
at their tables. They have a great way of sitting in their windows. 
They study there, and they put their feet up on the window sill, and 
do such things as that. It defaces or scarifies the window sill. I put 
him on the report for it. I would like to say in reference to that, 
that in making these reports they are not always for the first offense, 
by any means. You generally size them up and find out how you have 
got to handle them. Some men you can talk to and some men you see 
doing things accidentally. There are others who have absolutely no 
apparent regard for any regulation whatever. In the case of this 
young man, he would flaunt it right in your face. You could not go 
around him without seeing that he was doing something he should 
not have done, and he never had sense enough to get out of your way, 
apparently, in many things he did. 

The Chairman. ‘‘November 22, deliberate violation of regula¬ 
tions—15 demerits.'’ The nature of the violation is not put down 
here. Do you recall anything about that? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That was, I think, the result of 
my finding him on three different occasions unprepared for inspection. 
The regulations state that between certain times all midshipmen's 
quarters shall be ready for inspection, and the midshipmen them¬ 
selves shall be, if possible, in their rooms ready to receive the inspect¬ 
ing officer. On a previous occasion I had warned that young man 
that he must get out of that habit; that he rnust stop it. He had not 
been paying any attention to it, and I think that was what it was. I 
think on three different occasions he had paid no attention to that 
regulation. 

The Chairman. Do you remember if this was the case where his 
excuse was that he had been summoned to appear before either the 
court-martiah or the board of investigation, and had to put on his 
uniform, and while he was preparing to go he was found, and of 
course his room was in a state of disorder? I think that is the occa¬ 
sion when he spoke of that excuse. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I do not remember whether that 
is the occasion or not. There was such an occasion. That was the 
excuse he gave. The fact of the case is that he had been informed 
that he was to go to this court in ample time for him to have gotten 
into his clothes, but he was not doing that. He was playing that 
same game. I thought at the time, and I still think, that he was wait¬ 
ing for me to come around. When I got to his room I found out the 
time he had been ordered to prepare to go before this court, and he 
was standing in his room with his trousers on and his coat off. As I 
remember, when I walked into his room he was standing before his 
mirror; but whether that was the case in which I reported him or not 
I do not know. 

The Chairman. I will ask you if he had been summoned on very 
short notice to appear before the court-martial, so that his time 
of preparation necessarily fell within the time when he was supposed 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


343 


to have his room in order and himself in order, whether that would 
have been accepted as a sufficient excuse? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Oh, yes, sir, by all means. I 
suppose the board does not know it, but all offenses that carry with 
them as many demerits as that are settled by the commandant him¬ 
self. I, as the reporting officer, do not assign those demerits for any¬ 
thing as serious as that. It would not rest with me to assign so 
large a number of demerits. 

The Chairman. I suppose in all cases the midshipman would be 
permitted to talk with you personally, as well as to file with you a 
written statement of excuses? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Always. 

The Chairman. Would such a letter filed with you be invariably 
sent to the commandant? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Invariably; yes, sir. They have 
to be. They are sent in every morning. 

The Chairman. It could not be suppressed? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask a general question, Mr. Chair¬ 
man. This young man stated that the lieutenant-commander, to 
use his expression, ‘ffiad it in for him,’’ meaning to imply that he had 
a prejudice against him and personal ill will. Was there anj^thing of 
that sort, or any justification for that statement? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. There might be, in his mind, in 
this way: Anybody who deliberately violates regulations must 
always feel that the officer who is put there to enforce them is going 
to see that they are enforced, and he may think that the officer is 
opposed to him. I do not know. If a man is going to deliberately 
violate the regulations, he must expect to be reported. 

Mr. Padgett. I know; but outside of that conception of it, did 
you entertain toward him personally any dislike or ill will? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not the slightest. 

Mr. Padgett. That is what I wanted to know. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. The young man was always very 
amusing to me. I talked to him as.a father would talk to him at 
times. I told him what he was doing and what it was bound to lead 
to. I never saw him before I met him this academic year. I never 
heard of him. He was an amusing sort of a character in a way, too. 

The Chairman. He was rather famous along some lines of athletics, 
or he aspired to be. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I was told that he was on the 
track team. 

The Chairman. The evidence in the investigating board shows that 
an exceedingly large number of violations of discipline occurred in the 
mess hall, and that there were a great many cases of midshipmen being 
sent under the table, being made to stand on their heads, and to carry 
food away from the mess hall, and to shout out something in concert. 
How is it possible for these things to occur with a disciplinary officer 
present ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Well, sir; the mess hall is so 
very large, and the distances are so great that the officer sitting at his 
table can not see things that take place around the different tables. 

The Chairman. What proportion of the midshipmen are at his 
back? 


344 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant-Commander Deckek. Well, he sits this way. His 
table is in this position [indicating] right in the middle. There are 
three corridors, practically, with one row of tables along there against 
the wall [indicating] and another one along the other wall. You 
could not turn and see those on that side of you without turning 
through more than a right angle to see. 

The Chairman. Do you sit with your back to the end of the room 
or the side of the room ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. To the side of the room. 

The Chairman. So you can look up and down the room and see the 
tables which face you, each way? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No; you sit this way [indicating]. 
The tables are arranged along here, and there is a long corridor, and 
you would have to turn your head to see any of those tables. 

The Chairman. But you are in range of vision of part of them ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I do not know that I grasp your 
question. 

The Chairman. I mean by turning your head and looking to the 
right 3mu can see part of the tables, and by turning ^mur head to the 
left you can see the tables in that direction ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes. 

The Chairman. But a considerable number of the tables are at 
your back where you would have to turn complete^ around to see 
them? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are a third of the tables at your back where you 
could not see them without turning around more than half way ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Easily a third. 

The Chairman. Do you happen to remember the dimensions of 
this hall? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir; I do not. 

The Chairman. It is a long hall, forming a parallelogram? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And the table at which the officer sits is in about 
the middle of it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Right in the middle of it. 

The Chairman. There is considerable noise? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. A great deal of noise; 3^es, sir. 

The Chairman. And a great number of waiters ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And noise from the dishes; and the midshipmen 
are at liberty to converse freely, I suppose ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Altogether it necessarily makes a good deal of 
noise ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Would it be an easy matter to carry food out of 
the hall to misdhipmen? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. It would be if the midshipmen 
did not do their duty. 

The Chairman. I mean so far as the observation of the officer in 
charge is concerned? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then the discipline in the mess hall depends 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


345 


almost entirely upon the performance of their duty by the cadet 
officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Deckek. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. How many of each class are there at each individual 
table ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Deckek. I could only give it to you in a 
very general way. Generally a table holds about 22, 10 on a side and 
1 at each end, and those will be divided up. Those adjacent to the 
ends of the table are generally first class men if there are any there. 
You will find probably 6 first class men at a table, 3 at each end, or of 
second class men, I should say, because there are no first class men 
here now. Then would probably come about 8 third class men. 
That would be 14, and the rest would be fourth class men, in the 
middle of the table. 

Mj. Dawson. Who are the men at each end? 

Lieutenant-Commander Deckek. The cadet officers or the cadet 
petty officers of the senior class. 

The Chaikman. With 22 at a table that would mean at least 40 
tables—that is, if the membership is 880 ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Deckek. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Is there any difference between the duty of a cadet 
officer and a cadet petty officer in reporting infractions of regulations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Can the table of the officer in charge be so placed as to 
give him a full view of all of the tables ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. It could be placed so as to give 
him a full view, not so that he could see anything taking place. You 
could put him at the end, and he would have this great long hall 
before him. I think it must be nearly 300 feet long. It would be a 
question of seeing what took place 300 feet away, ^ith the screen of 
all these different tables with the midshipmen sitting there between 
him and the other end of the hall. 

Mr. Dawson. There are a great many pillars in the room, too? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. There are these three long cor¬ 
ridors with a row of pillars in the center. 

^Ir. Gregg. I would like to ask another question. You said some¬ 
thing about inspections. This may have been developed by some¬ 
thing that you have been going over, but I want to get it clear in my 
mind. The officer in charge makes how many inspections during the 
day, and of what rooms? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. It depends very largely upon 
conditions and upon the officer in charge himself, as to how many he 
would make. 

Mr. Gregg. There is no fixed rule as to that? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. There is no fixed rule; no, sir, 

Mr. Gregg. The officer of that division, who is not the officer in 
charge, makes how many inspections of his particular division? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. One a day. 

Mr. Gregg. That is at a fixed time ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That is at a fixed time. 

Mr. Gregg. The midshipmen know exactly when that is to take 
place ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir; and the regulations state 


346 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


what the condition of the rooms shall be, and how everything shall 
be arranged during that inspection. 

Mr. Gregg. That is the only one he makes during the day? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. That is all. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. As to the inspections made by 
the officer in charge, I will say that they are made at very irregular 
times, and generally with some purpose in view. My own practice 
has always been to go around about the last hour of the period. I 
do not go to the rooms, but around the corridors, to see that every¬ 
thing is quiet and orderly. I may drop into a room here and there, 
but I have no fixed rule about that. Then, perhaps, I will go around 
just after the drills are over, when they are coming back, and have 
a tendency to shout and yell a good deal. It has a quieting influ¬ 
ence on them to know that the officer in charge is liable to walk 
around. That is the main point. In the evening, during the even¬ 
ing study hours, I walk around, and I generally walk around after 
taps, to see that things are quiet. Perhaps in the morning after 
reveille I walk around to see that they have come out. 

The Chairman. These inspections after taps are to determine that 
they are all in their rooms? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Those inspections are made by 
the cadet officers, but they make their reports at the office of the offi¬ 
cer in charge as soon as they have made their inspection. 

Mr. Dawson. How do you account for the fact that between Octo¬ 
ber 15, the beginning of the school year, and December 14, the time 
of the convening of the board of inquiry, that such a very large num¬ 
ber of infractions of the rules against hazing took place without com¬ 
ing under the observation of the disciplinary officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That I do not know, sir. On 
my personal inspections I never saw anything that led me to think 
for a moment anything was going on. I supposed that hazing had 
stopped. There had been a great deal of talk about it during the 
last year, that hazing had stopped, and I had not seen anything of 
it having been renewed and nothing that would lead me to suppose 
that it had. There was also a practice, which I think was the most 
serious part of it, and that was the connivance of the cadet officers 
in it, and in not doing their duty, knowing it was going on. I think 
they must have known it—in fact, I know they did, because some 
of them were participating in it themselves. 

The Chairman. Yes; a large number of them. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. That is something I had never 
expected, because first class men in my time had never done that. 
They were always the balance wheel. The third class men did very 
little hazing during the year. Most of their troubles arose when they 
went on the practice cruise. The first class was the balance wheel, 
and they kept the others down. This thing of the first class getting 
into it never entered into our heads, and I never dreamed of that fag¬ 
ging system that prevailed here. Indeed, when they told me of some 
of the things I could not believe it, because it has been the sentiment 
arnong the midshipmen that menial service was degrading and some¬ 
thing that they would[not submit to. That is one reason why I think 
I would have liked to see the fourth class stand up and say, “We con¬ 
sider such things as degrading and unofficerlike, and we will not sub- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


347 


mit to it. ’’ I think a resolution like that from the fourth class would 
go a great way toward bringing them to the point where they would 
resist, because that is, to my mind, one of the worst features of it— 
that we have a lot of young men here who will endure such things 
and not take advantage of the protection thev could readily get if 
they banded together. If, as a class, they had Banded together, they 
could have stopped every bit of that very quickly. Instead of doing 
that, however, the tendency appears to be, as far as I hear, that they 
have gone to work and put some of the young men in Coventry for 
testifying, as they should have done. Of course the fourth class man 
is young here. He does not know the custom and all that, but there 
is a certain standard we would expect of young men coming here. 
I do not see how it has ever been so lowered. I do not see what has 
led to its being lowered in the way this investigation has shown it 
to have been. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you not think that it would be a good idea to give 
the fourth class, when they come here, a talk along the lines sug¬ 
gested just now—that they should not submit to these degrading 
things ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think perhaps it would do 
good. 

Mr. Dawson. Of course, not having suspected such a thing, it was 
not likely to have been done at the beginning of the year? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. No one would have thought of 
it. 

Mr. Gregg. You state that you were somewhat blinded by the 
impression that hazing was over, and that there was no hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Was it your understanding that hazing had stopped 
by reason of the promises given by the cadets to Admiral Brownson? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I knew that pledge had been 
withdrawn; at least, it was common talk that that pledge had been 
withdrawn. 

Mr. Gregg. Did you know that the first of the year? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker, lies; I knew it. I knew it in 
the way you know such things—by hearing the midshipmen tell 
of them. 

Mr. Gregg. You were put on notice of that? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I have asked some of the mid¬ 
shipmen themselves about this, and to this day some of them are not 
entirely certain of it. There were no official orders published. 

Mr. Gregg. I want to ask you again that it was your understand¬ 
ing that that promise, made to Admiral Brownson, had any connec¬ 
tion or anything to do with the suppression of hazing at the academy ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. You mean last year? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes, sir. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I think unquestionably it re¬ 
duced it, but I think, as came out in the testimony, that midship¬ 
men established certain standards as their idea of hazing. 

The Chairman. It did away with physical hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And a great number of other devices were evolved 
to take its place ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes; and I think them worse, 
because they are unmanly. 


348 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Gregg. How did you ascertain that the promises had been 
withdrawn ? Did you ascertain that when you were out on the cruise 
or when you got back? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I do not know. I think I heard 
it from the midshipmen, and that is all I have heard about it. I do 
not think anything was said about it officially. 

Mr. Gregg. But whether you heard it from the midshipmen, or 
from whatever you ascertained it, was it while you were on the 
cruise or after you got back? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. It must have been after I got 
back. 

Mr. Gregg. How long after you got back? About the time you 
got back? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I do not know. The general 
idea came to me that the pledges had been withdrawn. I think that 
was the stand taken by the commandant. I think that is about 
where I must have gotten the first official idea. 

Mr. Gregg. At the beginning of the academic year? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir; that all pledges had 
been withdrawn. I think that is what he said. 

Mr. Loud. Upon the withdrawal of that pledge I do not suppose 
it was considered of enough importance to post the law on the bul¬ 
letin board in the academy, was it—a copy of the latest law in 
reference to hazing passed by Congress? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I do not know, sir. I think the 
people thought that if hazing had been really stopped for a period 
of two years, as it was claimed to have been, that that would estab¬ 
lish in the midshipmen’s minds a sort of condition that he would 
not take it up again. 

Mr. Loud. It has come to our notice, from the president of the pres¬ 
ent third class, that he had not even read the book of regulations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. You mean that book [indicat- 
ing] ? ^ 

Mr. Loud. Yes; that he had consulted it at times on some disputed 
point, but that he had not read the regulations. If the president of 
the class does not read the regulations, what can you expect of the 
rest of them? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. I judge that is the case from the 
way they have been acting. 

Mr. Loud. That is why it seems to me a very strong warning 
should have been posted when that law was passed, or placed in 
such a conspicuous place that they certainly would know what that 
law was, as a warning. There has been none posted, has there? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not that I know of, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. The roll of each company is called, as I understand. 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. And a report of the absentees made? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. It is called by the orderly sergeant of the company? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. He is called the chief petty 
officer. 

Mr. Gregg. He is the highest petty officer, is he not—the orderly 
sergeant ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


849 


Mr. Gregg. At the beginning of this academic year was the law 
on the subject of hazing, or any regulation about hazing, posted on 
the bulletin boards or in other ways promulgated among the mid- 
shmmen ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Not that I know of, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. There is an orderly kept in each corridor, is there not? 

Lieutenant-Commander Decker. Well, they have what is called a 
midshipman in charge and his assistant. 

The subcommittee, at 1 o’clock p. ni., took a recess until 2 o’clock 
p. m. 

AFTER RECESS. 

The subcommittee reassembled at 2 o’clock p. m., Hon. E. B. 
Vreeland in the chair. 

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN ARCHIBALD HUGH 
DOUGLAS, U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman Archibald Hugh Douglas, U. S. Navy, who had 
been previously sworn as a witness, resumed the witness chair and 
testified as follows: 

The Chairman. Mr. Douglas, have you anything further to say to 
us about the position and opinions of your classmates on the hazing 
proposition ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I have not called a class meeting to find 
out. I intended to. Last Sunday the commandant called them 
down and made a speech. I happened to be there. Next day, 1 
think it was, the first class decided that there should be no more 
hazing, and that being the senior class, I thought that was sufficient. 
Hazing is practically stopped now; in fact, it has been stopped, and 
I thought the decision of the first class was sufficient, and that our 
class being the next senior class would probably follow in their steps 
next year. 

The Chairman. Did you talk with a good many of your class 
about it? 

.Midshipman Douglas. No, sir; I have not talked with them 
about it. 

The Chairman. The fourth class could not be expected to develop 
their opinions about it until your class would act, I suppose? 

Midshipman Douglas. I do not know, sir. I suppose they could 
make a stand of their own. It is usually the senior class which 
makes the decisions here, and the other classes abide by them. There 
is no hazing here now. 

The Chairman. I know. Have you any doubt about the members 
of your class declaring themselves upon it in case they are called 
together ? 

Midshipman Douglas. I think they would; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Well, I said to you at the other meeting all that 
could be said on it. As a committee we consider it very important 
for all of the classes to take a stand upon this matter, if that is the 
way they feel about it. The Naval Academy here belongs to the 
people of the United States. They have spent, I suppose, $15,000,000 
or $18,000,000 here in developing what they hoped to be the finest 
naval school in the world. The people of the United States have a 


850 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


right to determine what class of officers shall be turned out of the 
institution, it being their school, the ships of the Navy being their 
ships, and this being their country. There is no question, as I take 
it, about the opinion of the people of this country upon the subject 
of interfering with, maltreating, and humiliating under class men, 
especially when it comes in what seems to them the unmanly and 
cowardly form of maltreating the younger and weaker by the older. 
We are endeavoring to make some changes in Congress whereb}^ we 
think the discipline will be established here on a more satisfactory 
basis. The cadets, in the public print, have been blamed pretty 
severely, perhaps more so than they ought to be, inasmuch as the 
present cadets did not originate the system. But that is not taken 
into consideration. They are blamed severely for the state of affairs 
which has been shown to exist here during the last few months. It 
seems to them clear that young men so intelligent that they are 
able to pass the examinations and get into the Naval Academy, 
and to remain here, must have intelligence enough to know what the 
public sentiment is and to respect it, as we all must, whatever posi¬ 
tion we occupy in this country, whether that of the President of the 
United States or members of Congress. Whatever position we may 
occupy, where we come before the American people we must be 
guided by the sentiment of the people where it is clearly known and 
expressed. The failure of these classes to act, after the first class 
has acted, will be construed by many, and will be construed by 
those in the House of Representatives who desire that no change 
shall be made in the law, as meaning that the court-martial must be 
reconvened and the cases tried out to the last man that can be found 
who has been guilty of these practices. Their attitude will be con¬ 
strued as one of defiance, of sullen resistance to the sentiment of 
the people. From that standpoint, as I explained to you last week,, 
we would be exceedingly glad if we could take back the information 
to the House of Representatives that the young men in this academy,, 
having watched the results of this system during the last few months 
having become convinced that the people of the country were opposed 
to this practice, had decided to discountenance it and discourage 
it. It will be with a feeling of a good deal of disappointment that we 
will return without being able to carry this information. We deem 
it of a great deal of importance. If, in your judgment, the class 
would refuse to express an opinion of that kind, or if a majority of 
them do not hold an opinion of that kind, I can see that it would 
be better not to meet at all, because it would simply cause exaspera¬ 
tion; but if it is believed that the representative men in the class 
and the class itself are against it, I think it is very important from 
the standpoint of the cadets and the standpoint of the legislators 
that they should express it. 

Midshipman Douglas. Is it not considered sufficient that the 
senior class should make the stand? The senior class has now said 
there shall be no more hazing. They have given their word of honor. 

The Chairman. It is considered sufficient by the committee to 
have the senior class take that stand, so far as hazing is concerned 
for the next yeay We believe that the stand taken by the senior 
class, together with the changes in the disciplinary procedure here, 
will be sufficient to prevent any considerable amount of hazing for 
the next year, but what I am talking about is the information we 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


351 


would like to give to the country and to Congress as to the respect 
that these young men themselves are willing to show to the laws of 
this country and to the sentiment of the people, without considering 
the question as to whether there is not machinery on hand to compel 
such obedience, wliich I believe there is. 

Midshipman Douglas. I think, in fact I have no doubt, that all of 
the succeeding classes will take the same step, and if the first and 
second classes^—or the second and third classes, as they really are— 
should take the step now^, then the following classes when they become 
upper classes would have to take the same step. Why is not that 
just the same—that the first classes, as they come, should take the 
decision in that manner? 

The Chairman. Well, I have endeavored to make clear to you the 
reason why we thought it would be a good deal of importance for the 
other two classes to also take the same action as showing their dispo¬ 
sition in the matter. When 3 mur class becomes the first class there 
will be no legislation pending. There will be no method for you to 
communicate to Congress, as there is at present. There will be no 
other situation which will arise in which the opinions of your class 
can be brought to the attention of the people, to set themselves right 
with the public sentiment. 

Midshipman Douglas. I think I understand how it is now. I do 
not know, but I think the class will take the stand that the present 
first class and second class take. I think if I called a class meeting 
and stated the facts as 3^011 have stated them to me, they^ will take the 
same stand. I have no doubt they will. The only thing I fear is that 
they do not realize what a serious question it is. 

The Chairman. Well, it is a matter of more importance to them, 
as I look at it, than to anyone else. The people of the country, I 
suppose, could survive it if we should lose a couple of hundred of the 
midshipmen who are now in the academv. I think if the question 
were put to the people as to whether we snould lose them or whether 
they should remain here def 3 dng public sentiment upon the subject 
of hazing, there would be no necessity for a recount of the votes in 
favor of letting them go—that the majority would be so large as to 
obviate any necessity for counting the other side. It would be 
apparent, as they sa 3 ^ up in the House. 

Midshipman Douglas. I take it you want me to call a class meet¬ 
ing and see whether they are willing to take the same stand that the 
first class have taken in regard to this. 

The Chairman. I do not know of any other way in which your class 
can formally give their opinion upon the subject, except by getting 
together. Wlio are the two leading men, in standing, in your class? 

Midshipman Douglas. In relation to standing m the class for 
studies ? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Douglas. Mr. Norton and Mr. Hunsacker. 

The Chairman. Do you think it would assist any if we called them 
in and explained to them, as we have to you, why we think it would be 
beneficial ? 

Midshipman Douglas. No, sir. I think they stand well in their 
studies, but I do not think their opinions would stand very high with 
the class. 

The Chairman. Are there any others? 


352 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Douglas. If you are going to call in any of the mem¬ 
bers of the class, I would suggest that you call Mr. R. K. Turner. 

The Chairman. Is there any other that you would suggest? 

Midsliipman Douglas. Mr. Carmichael, Mr. Markland, and 
Donavin. I think if you call those gentlemen in and explain the sit¬ 
uation as it has been explained to me it would have a great deal of 
influence on the class. I think they understand exactly tlie situation. 

The Chairman. I think that is all, Mr. Douglas. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN ANDEEW WILLIAMS CAR¬ 
MICHAEL, U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman Andrew Williams Carmichael, U. S. Navy, having 
been first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Andrew Williams Carmichael. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

Midshipman Carmichael. From New York, sir. 

The Chairman. What part of New York? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Plattsburg, N. Y., sir. 

The Chairman. You belong now to the third class, or what will be 
the third class until the end of the year? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Next school year you will be the second class? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your class was not hazed, if I remember aright? 

Midshipman Carmichael. As we understood hazing, we really did 
not get any of that. 

The Chairman. No physical hazing? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You had some running? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And what is properly fagging—that is, the per¬ 
formance of service for upper class men; but you never received 
physical hazing? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Your class had something in the nature of an 
agreement or pledge which was given to Admiral Brownson that there 
would be no physical hazing during the year? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, our class never took that pledge. 
It was the class before ours. 

The Chairman.,L ast year you were the fourth class? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Perhaps you were the participants in whatever 
hazing there was. Can you tell us if these practices which you call 
running and the performance of menial service for upper class men 
were known to the naval officers, the disciplinary officers? Can you 
tell us whether the fact that they were required or performed were 
known to those officers? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Not that I know of; no, sir. 

The Chairman. So far as your knowledge goes, is the marking of 
the papers in examinations or the giving of demerits by the disci¬ 
plinary officers conducted fairly and impartially? First as to your 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


853 


examinations. So far as you know, personally, is there any com¬ 
plaint that the papers are not marked properly and fairly? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, of course, there are some people 
sometimes who do not think they have got as high a mark as they 
deserve. 

The Chairman. You never heard them make any complaint that 
they were too high? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Sometimes the}" think they ought to be marked 
higher than they are marked? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; that is what I mean. 

The Chairman. The papers are marked by number instead of by 
name, are they not? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No; I do not think they are. I think 
the names are on them—I know they are. 

The Chairman. The names are put on the papers? 

Midshipman Carmichael. (3n each sheet; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are they examined and passed upon by more than 
one? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I think so. 

The Chairman. They pass through two or more hands in the 
marking ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; at the semiannual and annual 
examinations. 

The Chairman. The examinations upon which your passing to a 
higher grade would depend are reexamined by others after the first 
examination? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So their action is reviewed? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know of any cases this year where any 
unjust discrimination has been shown m the reporting of violations 
by the disciplinary officers ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. You mean the line officers in the Navy? 

The Chairman. Yes; there are four disciplinary officers, as we call 
them—the lieutenant-commanders who are under the commandant 
of cadets. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And the lieutenant-commanders under him, four 
in number, who are quartered in Bancroft Hall, are the ones I refer 
to as disciplina^ officers in charge of discipline? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The question is whether they report infractions or 
violations of the regulations fairly arid justly or whether, to your 
knowledge, discrimination is shown. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, I know of some cases where it 
seems as if it was discrimination. I do not know whether you would 
call it discrimination or not. 

The Chairman. Can you cite any specific instances to illustrate 
what you mean? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, some midshipmen never seem to 
be able to get their requests for privileges granted as well as others, 
and they always seem to get more demerits than others. It is harder 
for them to have a statement accepted than it is for some others. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-23 


354 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Is there a difference in the value of the statement 
from some midshipmen as compared with others ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. That is what I mean; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Those who have more frequent violations of the 
rules and regulations would not be likely to have their requests for 
privileges granted so freely as those whose conduct was better, I 
suppose ? ^ 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir; there are certain what they call 
“conduct grades” that the privileges depend upon always. 

The Chairman. Is the number of these disciplinary officers suffi¬ 
cient so that they ought to knoAV about hazing practices in the rooms 
before or after the supper hour? Are they sufficient in number so 
that they should have personal knowledge of these by direct obser¬ 
vation ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No; they could not very well, I do not 
think, sir, because they would have to have a man in every room to 
keep watch of them all. 

The Chairman. In the mess hall how many of these disciplinary 
officers are stationed during the meals? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Just one, sir. 

The Chairman. Is one officer there sufficient to observe infractions 
of the rules in all parts of the room? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Oh, I suppose some things could go on 
at the farther end of the mess hall which he would not see. It is a 
very large hall. 

The Chairman. Is his back to a part of the tables? 

Midshipman Carmichael. He sits right in the center of the mess 
hall. 

The Chairman. But are some of them at his back? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Partly at his back. 

The Chairman. Behind him? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I do not think there is any table 
directly behind him, but there are some just a little ways behind him. 

The Chairman. Can men be sent under the table or be made to sit 
on the edge of the chairs in remote parts of the room, where he could 
not see very well ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; I think so. 

The Chairman. Do the midshipmen generally understand that all 
forms of hazing are contrary not only to the regulations of the acad¬ 
emy, but to the laws of the land? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I never understood that; no, sir. 

The Chairman. When did you first know that ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. That they were contrary to the laws of 
the country? I first knew it just now, when you told me, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you not know about the cases of three boys 
who were dismissed from the academy the latter part of 1904? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, that was according to the Naval 
^Academy regulations, was it not? 

The Chairman. I think they were cadet officers, and that there 
were violations of the rules by midshipmen at the table. Instead of 
reporting they took the punishment into their own hands in some 
form which would be hazing. Any punishment inflicted by a cadet 
officer without authority would come under the head oi hazing, 
would it not? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


355 


Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; I suppose so. 

The Chairman. So that in reality while it was for an infraction of 
the regulations, it would come under that head? That was during 
your first year here ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir; that was before me. You 
mean Midshipman Chaffee ? That was before I was here. 

The Chairman. That was in 1904. You have learned during the 
progress of the court-martial here that hazing was contrary to law, I 
suppose ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Contrary to the regulations; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. No ; but contrary to the statute law of the country. 

Midshipman Carmichael. You mean in the academy here? 

The Chairman. Yes; hazing in the academy. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes; but not hazing in colleges, for 
instance. 

The Chairman. No; but here, and at West Point. 

Midshipman Carmichael. I see what you mean now. 

The Chairman. I will read to you from the act of Congress 
approved March 3, 1903: 

That the superintendent of the Naval Academy shall make such rules, to be approved by 
the Secretary of the Navy, as will effectually prevent the practice of hazing; and any cadet 
found guilty of participating in or encouraging or countenancing such practice shall be sum¬ 
marily expelled from the academy, and shall not thereafter be reappointed to the corps of 
cadets or the eligibles for appointment as a commissioned officer in the Army or Navy or 
Marine Corps until two years after the graduation of the class of which he was a member. 

You knew of that? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you cadets, generally, so far as you know, 
understood that hazing was a violation of the law of the land, as 
well as of the rules of the academy? 

Midshipman Carmichael. According to that law, you mean? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; well, I do not know as you 
could say generally. I suppose most of them knew that. 

The Chairman. It must have been called to their attention, I 
suppose pretty generally, during the last few months since this court- 
martial has been in session ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Oh, sir, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you knowledge as to the sentiment among 
the people of this country in respect to these hazing practices, as 
indicated by the press? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, I have a little knowledge about 
what the newspapers have said about it; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You of course have knowledge of the view that 
Congress takes of it, from the fact that they have passed these laws? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Making it unlawful, and punishing it by dismissal? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Class fighting, that is fights between members of 
the fourth class and upper class men, usually result from the refusal 
on the part of the fourth class men to obey hazing or running or 
fagging regulations? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, they are generally from breaking 
rates; yes, sir. Sometimes they are personal matters, though. 


356 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Well, I was speaking of class fighting. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So far as you know at the present time, after 
hazing has been brought so prominently before the midshipmen 
here, and its results, do you know what the opinion of the members 
of your class are about it now? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Why, yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they think that it is a desirable system to 
maintain in the academy ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, I think there are a great many 
of them who think if it is carried on properly it is all right; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Notwithstanding the fact that it is contrary to 
the law? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, I do not suppose they stop to 
look at it in such a serious light as that. 

The Chairman. Is it your opinion that the members of your class 
will desire to continue the practices of hazing and running unless 
they are compelled to stop it by the authorities; unless they are 
placed under such surveillance as will not permit it? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Well, I suppose it is an old custom 
that has been here so long that most ever^mne has gotten used to it, 
and they would naturally want to keep it up. 

The Chairman. It is also an old custom to turn them out in quite 
large numbers for doing that. Do they desire to keep that also? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I do not suppose they do; no, sir. 

The Chairman. They wish to violate the law and disobey the 
wishes of the country which maintains this school, and at the same 
time graduate into officers who shall be placed in important com¬ 
mand ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, I do not think they wish to violate 
the law, sir. 

The Chairman. They can not practice hazing without violating 
the law, can they, in any way that you know of? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I say they would like to keep up hazing. 
Of course, they can not do it if the regulations are going to be so 
strict against it and if violations are going to be reported. A person 
would be a fool to haze anyone now, for instance. 

The Chairman. Your class, you think, after the action that has 
been taken by the first class, will be obliged to stop hazing, I take it, 
for the next year? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; the senior class always has 
the say in those things. 

The Chairman. Your class has taken no action to indicate whether 
they are going to stop hazing because they are compelled to by the 
authorities, or whether they are willing to obey the law and obey 
the sentiment of the people of the country? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No action that I know of has been taken. 

The Chairman. Do you think a majority of your class are in favor 
of discountenancing hazing? 

Midshipman Carmichael. What do you mean by discountenancing 
it, sir? 

The Chairman. I mean by making it bad form—the public opinion 
of your class being against it for the reason that it is contrary to 
law—discouraging it. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 357 

Midshipman Carmichael. I hardly think so; no, sir. 

The Chairman. Your opinion is, then, that the moment the pres¬ 
sure is removed from your class it would commence the practice of 
hazing again ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Unless it was made so very serious an 
offense that it would be dangerous to do it. 

The Chairman. Ther present punishment for it is dismissal from 
the academy. Do you mean something more serious than that ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. It has always been that, but it has 
never been considered very—well,* it has never been paid much 
attention to until now that I know of. 

Mr. Loud. Eighteen were dismissed at one time? 

The Chairman. Oh, yes. If you are familiar with the history of 
the academy you will discover that whenever it has spread until it 
attracted attention it has always been followed by a large number 
of dismissals. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Eighteen at one time were dismissed, out of one 
outbreak. 

Midshipman Carmichael. What I mean is, there was no real hazing 
until this year, since I have been here; but they never tried to catch 
anyone hazing the way they have lately. 

The Chairman. During the past two years that you have been 
here, you mean? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Has there been plenty of it during that time, 
except these physical practices? 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir; there has always been some 
of it here from what I understand. It is just a matter of rates and 
rank, just the same as there is after you get out into the service. A 
senior man has precedence.' 

The Chairman. Yes. That is a different matter. 

Midshipman Carmichael. I think in most cases that is all that 
hazing is used for, to enforce these rates. I do not think it is done 
just for the pleasure of hazing anyone at all. 

The Chairman. I am sorry to say that we have seen a great many 
instances that have occurred here lately that would seem to have 
taken place merely for the pleasure of the upper class men, for their 
entertainment, or as an evidence of their superiority and authority 
over the lower class men. Everyone, I think, concedes that here, as 
elsewhere, that as midshipmen advance to higher classes they are 
entitled to receive additional privileges; but I think no one concedes 
that by reason of being in a higher class they are entitled to humiliate 
and maltreat the men in the lower class who are younger and pre¬ 
sumably weaker than themselves. The practice of sending a man 
under the table to eat his dinner in the opinion of the people generally 
is unmanly. It is humiliating to a great degree to the man who is 
sent under the table—sent under there to eat his dinner like a dog in 
the presence of the waiters—and is considered to be totally incom¬ 
patible with any ideas which we have of American manhood and 
dignity, and something that is totally unfitting to be forced upon a 
man who is going to be an officer in the Navy; we can not conceive 
how that is necessary for the preservation of any just rate. 


358 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Loud. How many fist fights were there last year between 
members of your class and members of the third class? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I could not say exactly, sir. 

Mr. Loud. I do not mean exactly, but as near as you can recall? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I only remember five or six, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Did any of your class win any of those fights? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not know whether your classmates intend 
to indicate in any way whether they desire to voluntarily obey the law 
or not? 

Midshipman Carmichael. I haven’t heard anything to indicate 
that; no, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I wish to ask you one question, please. You an¬ 
swered a question by the chairman about the grades of conduct. 
You had been speaking of discriminations, and that some could get 
their excuses accepted or their statements accepted better than 
others. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. The Chairman asked you if a man who had a better 
conduct grade could not get his statement accepted, or get more 
privileges than one who had a worse grade. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any discriminations between mem¬ 
bers of the same grade by the faculty. 

Midshipman Carmichael. Why, I have just heard some midship¬ 
men say that they thought they were not getting the proper square 
treatment. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know any of the facts connected with it, 
as to whether it is well or ill founded ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any cases where the officers have 
discriminated against individuals, midshipmen, because of personal 
ill will or personal dislike ? 

Midshipman Carmichael. No, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN RICHMOND KELLY TURNER, U. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman Richmond Kelly Turner, U. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Turner. Richmond K. Turner, sir. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

Midshipman Turner. California, sir. 

The Chairman. You are in the present third class? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And will soon be in the second class? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; at the end of this year. 

The Chairman. And a little after that you hope to be in the first 
class ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then you hope to be an officer in the United 
States Navy? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


359 


The Chairman. Carrying out the laws of your country? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And seeing that the laws of the United States 
are enforced? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. As one of the officers for that purpose? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then a necessary part of the teaching which you 
get at this institution ought to be along that line, I suppose ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You are going out as one of the officers of your 
country, to see that the laws of the country are obeyed ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. By and by you will have command of ships and 
hundreds of men, where it is absolutely necessarv that they shall 
obey the laws and the regulations of the Navy. Then your teaching 
here should have a good deal to do with learning the necessity of 
obeying the laws of your country? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose an officer himself should be an exponent 
of obedience to laws in order to assume that authority over the men 
under him? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Are you learning here among other things to obey 
the laws of the United States ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you understand that the laws of this country 
prohibit hazing in the Naval Academy and in the Military Academy 
at West Point? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is the one special United States statute that 
has been passed in relation to this academy. The United States 
Congress has passed no law in relation to smoking here. While that 
is against the regulations, yet it has been left for the authorities here. 
It has passed no special statute about going outside of the grounds 
without leave, although that would be a breach of discipline, and is 
strictly forbidden by the regulations of the academy. It has passed 
no law as to how your locker and your rooms should be maintained 
and arranged, although that is part of the regulations here. But on 
that one subject, on one particular branch of your education here 
and the rules which govern you, the Congress of the United States 
in response to public sentiment has passed a statute, has made a law. 
Congress has made a law providing that the superintendent of the 
Naval Academy shall make such rules, to be approved by the Secre¬ 
tary of the Navy, as will effectually prevent the practice of hazing, 
and any cadet found guilty of participating or encouraging or coun¬ 
tenancing such practice shall be summarily expelled from the acad¬ 
emy. That is the law of this country.* Did you understand that 
that was the case? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is that knowledge generally had among the mid¬ 
shipmen here ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. When did you first discover that there was such a 
law as that in effect ? 


360 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Turner. I do not remember, sir, exactly. It was 
either just before or just after I entered the academy. I am not posi¬ 
tive which. I knew there was a regulation against it, of course, 
before; but about this law, I did not know. 

The Chairman. This academy has been built and maintained at 
an expense to the people of the United States of a great many millions 
of dollars. It is the school which they depend upon for officers to 
command the ships of the Navy, a very important duty connected 
with the nation. The people who support this school, who pay for 
keeping it going and maintaining it, have a right, have they not, 
to say what sort of a school it shall be and what rules shall prevail 
in it? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And boys who do not agreje with the country and 
with their country’s laws as to what they should do here ought not to 
come here, ought they? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And if they do come here they ought to come 
here prepared to obey the laws and to learn such things and do such 
things as the laws of their country and the rregulations require. 
There can be no doubt upon that, I suppose? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think the midshipmen generally have 
not given special attention to the fact that hazing is contrary to the 
law, that they have looked upon it more as a regulation ? 

Midshipman Turner. Please tell me what you mean by sufficient 
attention. 

The Chairman. That they have not been sufficiently impressed 
with the fact that the people of this country are very strongly 
opposed to the practices they call hazing, and that the Congress of the 
iJnited States in response to that feeling of the people has passed 
a statute making it unlawful. Do you think they have looked at it 
more as a regulation of the academy, like such an offense as smoking? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; t think so. 

The Chairman. Do you think that in a school maintained by the 
the Government, paid for by the people of the United States, that the 
cadets ought to conform to the wishes and ideas of the people who 
maintain the school? 

Midshipman Turner. I think so; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. As to their conduct? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the cadets here know that it is contrary to the 
wishes of the people of this country that hazing shall take place in the 
academy? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; I think they do. 

The Chairman. Are your classmates, as far as you know, willing 
and desirous of complying with the sentiment of the people about this! 

Midshipman Turner. They do not object to hazing going out of 
vogue, but they do object to the classes being put on an equality. 

The Chairman. What you would call rates? 

Midshipman Turner. Rates; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You mean by that that you think as they progress 
to the higher classes their privileges and importance should increase ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 361 

The Chairman. Well, they are bound to increase, are they not? 

Midshipman Turner. They have heretofore, I think, but now the 
classes are being put on almost the level with each other, one without 
any more right than the other classes. 

riie Chairman. The first classes have greater privileges under the 
rules of the academy, have they not, than the fourth class men? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; slightly. But now—perhaps I 
ought to explain it. Last year it was the current saying around the 
academy that the superintendent had said that he did not object to 
class rates, and class rates were rigidly enforced, and that was all. 
The fourth class men had to keep their rates and the third class men 
had rates to keep, and even the second class men had rates. This 
year it is reported that the superintendent has said that he does not 
want any class rates. That is one thing that nobody wants to see go. 

The Chairman I had understood that some of the rates were to 
be ofi[icially recognized in the new rules ? 

Midshipman Turner I do not know anything about that, sir. 

The Chairman. I notice in reading over the investigation con¬ 
ducted here that there was a rate against a fourth class man having 
his hair cut at the barber shop on some particular day, say Friday? 

Midshipman Turner. That is an official rate, sir. 

The Chairman. We found that one of the upper class men, I think 
a first class man, sent a fourth class man on Friday to have his hair 
cut. The fourth class man obeyed the order of the first class man 
and went to have his hair cut. Then he was hazed by another first 
class man for having his hair cut on Friday. Does that come under 
your system of maintaining rates ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. What do you mean by rates? 

Midshipman Turner. In maintaining the rates,when hazing was 
at its height, a man never rated making a fourth class man break any 
regulations, and it is against the regulations for a fourth class man to 
go to the barber shop on Friday. The fourth class man can refuse to 
go on that day, and neither the first class man nor any other class man 
could say anything to him about it. 

The Chairman. If the fourth class man refuses to obey the order of 
the.upper class man, I suppose he can fight as an alternative, can he 
not? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not think that anything like that would 
ever be brought to a fight, sir. All he has to do, if an upper class man 
orders him to break a regulation and he refuses to do it, is that he can 
go to another upper class man, some upper class man he knows— 
what we call a spoon ’’—and tell him about it, and it will be fixed up. 

Mr. Gregg. Suppose he does not have a spoon? 

Midshipman Turner. They all have spoons, sir. I never heard of 
any that had not. 

The Chairman. Is the practice of sending boys under the table to 
eat their dinners done for the purpose of maintaining rates ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Then you would not favor a retention of those 
parts of the system? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And the standing of the boys on their heads two or 
three hundred times. Is that necessary to maintain the rates? 


362 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You would not favor that? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Then your idea of the maintenance of anything 
that may come under the definition of hazing, is that part of it which 
relates to rates only? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Official rates promulgated by the class, and not 
any particular rate which the whim of an upper class man may lead 
him to put out? 

Midshipman Turner. There are no such rates as that. The presi¬ 
dent of the first class makes out a list of rates at the beginning of 
every year and sends them out. Everybody knows what his rates 
are. After a man has been in the academy for a month he knows 
what his rates are. 

Mr.DAwsoN. Do you think hazing is necessary to maintain those 
rates ? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not think so, sir. It was not last year. 

The Chairman. What do you think of class fighting as an institu¬ 
tion, Mr. Turner? I refer particularly to fights between fourth class 
men and the upper class men, for refusal to obey some part of the haz¬ 
ing system? 

Midshipman Turner. I think it has often been necessary to make 
a fourth class man fight, when he has broken a rate, and had continued 
to do it. 

The Chairman. Well, you stick to the word rates. Kates, as far 
as we have observed, covers a very small portion of the cases which 
lead to fights, and which lead to complaint of the hazing system. If 
an upper class man sends a boy on his head and he refuses. I suppose 
that means a fight, does it not ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is the only weapon he has to enforce it? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Under the system of class fights between the fourth 
class men and upper class men, a younger, less experienced, and less 
skillful boy in the matter of fights is put against some experienced, 
toughened, seasoned, upper class man, where he is almost certainly 
going to be licked. Is that the fact? 

Midshipman Turner. The fourth class man usually is whipped. 

The Chairman. Yes. And if by any strange mischance he hap- 

E ens to win another upper classman would be selected, and he would 
ave to try it again, would he not ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you not think it is a rather cowardly system 
which puts against a new boy here, who has perhaps had no opportu¬ 
nity to become skillful in fighting and knows nothing about it, a prac¬ 
ticed fighter from the upper class, older and more experienced in 
every way, and where the result is a foregone conclusion? Is that 
not what the American people call rather unmanly, and cowardly, 
where a man has little chance? How would they view that out in 
California ? 

Midshipman Turner. I think they would look at it there much the 
same as they do at other places. 

The Chairman. Yes? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


363 


Midshipman Turner. I think myself, I believe to a great extent 
in hazing, and entirely in rates. I believe that if a man comes in here 
he knows there is a certain thing ahead of him, and he soon finds out 
what it is. One of the greatest objects in hazing and in rates is to 
teach respect and to get respect from those underneath you. If these 
rates were knocked out completely, in a very short time, I think, the 
academy would be so that a fourth class man would not give very 
much respect to a first class man or to an officer. In the time when 
hazing was at its height the officers who graduated then show greater 
respect toward their superiors than any other officers in the line, and 
it is the same thing in the academy. Respect and obedience and sub¬ 
ordination are what hazing and rates teach. 

The Chairman. Yes? And obedience to laws and regulations are 
taught by hazing? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; I said obedience to your superior. 

The Chairman. Are the officials in this institution the superiors of 
the midshipmen? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then that means obedience to them. Do you 
know of any cases until within the last six weeks where cadet officers 
reported violations by their classmates of the regulations here? 

Midshipman Turner. Very few. 

The Chairman. Was it the order of their superiors when they were 
put in these positions of trust that they should report such violations? 

Midshipman Turner. Not directly, sir. 

The Chairman. What do you mean by that? 

Midshipman Turner. It was understood that they would report 
all violations, but they were not told to. They were not given the 
direct order to do so. 

The Chairman. What were they made cadet officers for? Just for 
ornament ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; as I say, it was understood, but 
they did not do it. 

The Chairman. The regulations require it, do they not? 

Midshipman Turner. I believe so, sir; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Why, yes; cadet officers have duties to perform, 
do they not ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Those duties among others are to maintain discip¬ 
line in the companies of which they have charge and to report to their 
superior officers violations of the regulations and infractions of dis¬ 
cipline. Is that the duty of a cadet officer? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You say you know of very few instances where 
they have done this ? 

Midshipman Turner. Where they have reported their classmates. 

The Chairman. Then the system of hazing does not result in teach¬ 
ing them obedience to their superiors ? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not think that that has anything to do 
with the hazing, sir. 

The Chairman. I understood you to say that you thought when 
the system was in vogue there was a greater obedience to superiors, 
and that it had taught obedience. 

Midshipman Turner. Hazing has not been in vogue since I have 
been in the academy except this year. 


364 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. But forms of running have been in vogue, were 
they not ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Everything that is defined as hazing except the 
requiring of physical exercises has been in vogue, has it not? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. When you came into this academy did you sub¬ 
scribe to the following oath? 

I, Richmond Kelly Turner, of the State of California, aged 19 years, having been appointed 
a midshipman, do hereby engage, with the consent of my parents (or guardian), that I will 
serve in the Navy of the United States for eight years, unless sooner discharged by compe¬ 
tent authority. 

And I, Richmond Kelly Turner, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will bear true faith 
and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve them honestly and faith¬ 
fully against aU their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the President 
of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules 
and articles for the government of the United States Navy; so help me God. 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Why did you take that oath ? Are you complying 
with your oath and obeying the orders of your superior officers af well 
as the law of your country when you participate in the practices of 
hazing ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You are distinctly violating your oath. 

Midshipman Turner. I beg your pardon, sir; but I think not. I 
do not think it is violating your oath. 

The Chairman (reading). 'Wnd that I will obey the orders of 
the President of the United States and the orders of the officers 
appointed over me.” Are the officers in this institution, the super¬ 
intendent and the lieutenant-commanders, your superior officers ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The orders of the superintendent of this academy, 
among others contained in these books, are your regulations for the 
interior government of the academy? 

Midshipman Turner. There is a difference, I think, between obey¬ 
ing general orders and obeying a specific order. When general orders 
are issued to a fleet out in the service if anyone breaks any of those 
orders he is punished not for disobedience of the orders, for he is not 
considered to have broken any orders, but he is punished for the 
offense. If an officer, on the other hand, tells him, or he receives 
orders addressed to him and to him alone, when he breaks those and 
refuses to obey them he is disobeying orders, and then is not comply¬ 
ing with what is demanded of him. 

The Chairman. You are gttting into a subject that is too large 
for me when you go into the management of fleets. I am not familiar 
with that. I have looked over some of the laws and regulations of 
the United States for the government of the enlisted men on board 
ship. They are contained in these books. Are enlisted men on board 
a battle ship, for example, privileged to do anything they have a mind 
to do except to disobey orders which come to them personally from 
the captain, or are they bound by these regulations of the country? 

Midshipman Turner. They are bound by them. You misunder¬ 
stand, sir. I said it was not treated as disobedience to orders when 
they broke any general regulations. 

The Chairman. Oh, yes. You mean orders issued for the direction 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


365 


of vessels, where they shall go, and what they shall do. That, of 
course, would necessarily come as an order from a superior officer, and 
could not be contained in the regulations. 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then your construction of it is that the violation 
of any of the rules laid down in these books is not a violation of the 
oath which you took when you came in here? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; that is my construction of it. 

The Chairman. Besides the orders of the superior officers, your 
oath states that you will obey the rules and articles for the govern¬ 
ment of the United States Navy. Do you include the regulations 
for the government of the Naval Academy as a part of the rules and 
regulations? 

Midshipman Turner. I never thought of it in that light before, sir, 
I must say. 

The Chairman. So far as you know, Mr. Turner knowing what the 
law of the United States is upon the subject of hazing in this institu¬ 
tion, knowing what the sentiment of the people of the United States 
is about it, do you think your classmates are willing to voluntarily 
obey it whether they are compelled to by superior force or not ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The members of your class, then, so far as you 
know, are not in an attitude of defiance to the law and regulations of 
the academy? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

The Chairman. And willing to obey only as far as you are com¬ 
pelled to- obey the superior force ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. That is not the attitude, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Mr. Turner, in answer to a question by the chairman 
you stated that you objected to an abolition of rates in the academy. 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you mean by that the rates that are made by the 
president of the first class? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Then you believe in the maintenance of those rates? 

M.dshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. I believe you stated that that is the only way to get 
respect from those underneath you. Is that your statement? 

Midshipman Turner. I think it is the best way. 

Mr. Gregg. Does any man owe any respect or obedience to his 
superiors except such as are prescribed by law or the regu^tions? 

Midshipman Turner. You mean in the academy here, sir? 

Mr. Gregg. Yes. 

^Midshipman Turner. Only to the extent that those who are in the 
class above him in the academy will always be his superiors as long 
as he lives, if he stays in the Navy, and I think he does owe them 
respect. 

Mr. Gregg. When he goes into the Navy does he owe his superiors 
any deference or respect that is not prescribed by the regulations of 
the Navy? 

Midshipman Turner. I can not say as to that. 

Mr. Gregg. What do you think would be done with a lot of officers 
on a ship who sat down and established a lot of customs, or prescribed 


366 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


a lot of rates to be observed toward them by their inferiors on the 
ship; different from those prescribed in the regulations? 

Midshipman Turner. There have been those rates, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Amongst officers of the Navy? 

Midshipman Turner. Amongst officers of the Navy. There is a 
rate—I do not know whether it is prescribed by regulations or not, 
but it originally came from the officers among themselves prescribing 
it—that is, that no junior officer shall go on the starboard side of the 
q^uarter deck, and that no noncommissioned man or midshipmen 
shall go over the starboard gangway. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you know whether those are prescribed by the 
regulations ? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not know. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you not think it would lead to a system of tyranny 
eventually if officers were permitted of their own volition to establish 
customs that must be observed toward them, that are not prescribed 
by some general head? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; if the customs and rates just grow 
naturally of themselves, I do not think it would. If they arbitrarily 
establish a lot of rates, I do not think it would be right. 

Mr. Gregg. Are these not arbitrarily established? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; every rate that is made is for the 
convenience of those who are above the fourth class men. 

Mr. Gregg. Is not anything arbitrary that is not legal? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. I understand by the word arbi¬ 
trary that it means the opposite of something that has grown up by 
custom. 

Mr. Gregg. In other words, it is found to be convenient, by custom 
and, therefore, you think it ought to be legal, and you call it legal; is 
that it? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not call it legal. It ought to be legal, I 
think. 

Mr. Gregg. It ought to be? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. But you do not think it is ? 

Midshipman Turner. It was under the other administration per¬ 
fectly legal. I believe it is not under this. 

Mr. Gregg. If it is not legal then they have no right to expect it of 
those under them, have they? 

Midshipman Turner. Not unless they are willing to give it. 

Mr. Gregg. Right along that line, do you think any man has got 
the right to expect voluntary service from somebody who is not under 
obligation or bound to give it ? 

Midshipman Turner. May I ask you to state what you mean by 
service, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. The observance of any custom toward him that he is 
not bound to give. 

Midshipman Turner. I think the courtesy, respect, and obedience 
due to seniors should be expected. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you not think the wisdom of those who have for 
years been formulating the rules of the academy and of the Navy is 
sufficient to establish the proper demeanor of one officer toward 
another ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


367 


Mr. Gregg. Then, if that is sufficient is it not wrong for someone 
else to establish different rules? 

Midshipnaan Turner. But they take no cognizance of the relations 
that one midshipman bears to another. They do not recognize any 
relations that we have with each other, that I know of, in the regula¬ 
tions. We are living here, one thousand of us, right in one building. 
Sometimes it is pretty hard to get along all around. Often pretty 
hard situations come up, and things that are hard to deal with. The 
authorities do not recognize those, and we have to look out for those 
things ourselves. We have to see that we do not lose our self-respect. 

Mr. Gregg. In your internal dealings, one with another, should 
there be any rules of respect from one to the other except such as are 
customary between gentlemen? 

Midshipman Turner. I think so, sir, because the mere fact that 
respect is always due from a junior runs right through the Navy, in 
all their official relations. 

Mr. Gregg. If the junior properly conducts himself, so as to com¬ 
mand that respect, will he not get it without the use of any force, or 
the enforcement of any rates ? 

Midshipman Turner. You mean the senior, do you not? 

Mr. Gregg. If the junior properly conducts himself, will he not 
naturally command respect of his seniors without the use of force or 
any other means? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not think that would be a safe policy 
to introduce in the naval service. The orders of a superior officer 
have to be obeyed and he has to get respect. He must have the 
respect that is due him. 

Mr. Gregg. If he issues an order that he has authority to issue, 
that would not be a rate, would it? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Then he is required to obey any order that his superior 
has issued? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. The orders that he can issue are prescribed by the 
accumulated wisdom of years, of the men who have managed this 
institution. Do you not think that ought to be enough? 

Midshipman Turner. Officially, sir, but not in our private relations 
with each other. There is not a thing in the regulation book that I 
have ever been able to find- 

Mr. Dawson. Do not the officers of the academy recognize the 
privilege of the upper class men, for instance, in the matter of boats 
which the^^ may use, or in the matter of the entrances which they may 
use, or the precedence of one class over another at the pay office, and 
matters of that kind ? 

Mr. Gregg. And in the barber shop ? 

Midshipman Turner. They do not at the pay office, and never 
have, except in the matter of midshipmen themselves allowing others 
to come ahead of them. In the other cases some of them do, and 
some of them do not. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think any man could prescribe a set of regu¬ 
lations which would recognize the privileges of the upper class men ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; I do not think he could. 

Mr. Dawson. You do not think an officer of the academy, then, 
could perform the same services which your rate committee is per¬ 
forming ? 



368 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Turnek. No, sir. 

The Chairman. He could not satisfy the boys? 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask one or two questions. In answer 
to a question by the chairman you stated that every fourth class man 
had his spoon? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. What service does he perform for his spoon in con¬ 
sideration of the protection and advice he receives ? 

Midshipman Turner. He does not perform any service at all. The 
spoon is a man that you have known before you entered the academy. 
He is from your own State or town, or knows people that you know; 
that is, there is some tie between you in some way. You are merely 
friends. The fourth class man has nothing to do in the way of service. 

Mr. Padgett. When an upper class man requires a fourth class 
man to come to his room every morning and raise his window curtains 
and wind his clock for him, is that upper class man occupying the 
position of a spoon in that ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. What position is that? 

Midshipman Turner. Well, it is just the regular position that any 
one upper class man occupies to any fourth class man that he has 
nothing in common with, or does not know. 

Mr. Padgett. You call that fagging? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You call it running? 

Midshipman Turner. We call it running; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You call, then, the performance of any menial 
service required or a fourth class man by an upper class man running ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; I think I would call it that. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you think that is necessary for discipline ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; I do not. 

Mr. Padgett. What form of hazing do you think is necessary for 
discipline? You have said that you thought hazing was beneficial to 
discipline. Please indicate what forms of hazing j^ou think are neces¬ 
sary for discipline ? 

Midshipman Turner. For a fourth class man to say ‘^sir,” and for 
him to rise when an upper class man enters the room; and to keep out 
of the wav as much as possible, and not tc- intrude himself. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you think fighting is necessary for discipline? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not believe much in fighting, unless a 
personal matter is brought up. 

Mr. Padgett. I mean outside of personal matters. I do not mean 
a personal encounter, in the heat of passion, under provocation, but as 
a matter of discipline, do you believe the requiring of fourth class men 
to fight with upper class men is necessary for discipline ? 

Midshipman Turner. I think it has been occasionally necessary; 
yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you think putting them under the table is neces¬ 
sary for discipline? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you think requiring them to stand on their heads 
is necessary for discipline ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Or to do the ‘‘ sixteenth ?’’ 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


369 


Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Or the leaning rest? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Or crew? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. None of those are necessary for discipline? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Now, then, give me the principle or theory upon 
which the upper class men require the fourth class men to do that. 

Midshipman Turner. It is done usually, I believe, as a punish¬ 
ment for some breaking of rates, or some disrespect, or something of 
that sort. 

Mr. Padgett. It is necessary to have that form of hazing to main¬ 
tain the rates? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. How would you maintain the rates? 

Midshipman Turner. That is rather a hard question to answer, I 
think. I will have to say the way it was done last year. The rates 
were maintained very excellently, I think, jut as well as could be 
expected, and without any of these aids that you have mentioned. 

Mr. Padgett. Without physical hazing? 

Midshipman Turner. Without any physical hazing whatever. 

Mr. Padgett. Did you resort to running to maintain your rates in 
lieu of hazing? , 

Midshipman Turner. We call it all running, sir; the whole thing. 

Mr. Padgett. I do not ask you what you call it, but did you prac¬ 
tice it for the purpose of maintaining your rates when you had 
abolished physical hazing? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not quite understand what you mean, 
sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You had an agreement last year not to have physi¬ 
cal hazing—an agreement of the upper classes ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. They kept that agreement, I assume? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr Padgett. When they could not resort to physical hazing, did 
they resort to other forms of running to punish lower class men for 
violations of rates ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Singing songs, telling dirty stories, and things of 
that kind—cussing out the officers—that all came under the head of 
running, I believe? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not understand what you mean by cuss¬ 
ing out officers. 

Mr. Padgett. When an officer did not do something to suit you, 
and when you would have a fourth class man, in the absence of the 
officer, go through the performance of cussing out the officer. 

Midshipman Turner. I never saw that. 

Mr. Padgett. Did 3mu ever hear of it? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Would you think that was necessary? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; I would not think it was necessary 
at all. 


H. Doc. GOO, 59-1- 


-24 


370 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Padgett. Singing ludicrous songs, or any kind of songs. Is 
requiring that a part of the discipline ? 

Midsliipman Turnek. Occasionally it was, but usually it was for 
amusement, I think. 

Mr. Padgett. That was a part of the discipline to maintain the 
amusement of the institution. Well, telling dirty stories; did that 
come under the head of amusements? 

Midshipman Turner. I presume it must have, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Was the right to require an under class man to do 
that classed under the authority of the upper class men to discipline 
the fourth class men? 

Midshipman Turner. You understand, if any man had any objec¬ 
tion to telling a dirty story he did not have to do it. 

Mr. Padgett. Did he not have to? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose the under class man—the fourth class 
man—objected to being hazed for any purpose. What would they do 
with him? 

Midshipman Turner. If it could not be arranged through his 
spoon, and if neither side would concede anything, I suppose he would 
have to fight. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose he declined to fight. What then? 

Midshipman Turner. If a man declined to fight he would be 
ostracized. , 

Mr. Padgett. And that was part of the discipline of the school? 

Mr. Gregg. Suppose he would assign as a reason for not fighting 
that it was contrary to the regulations, and therefore contrary to his 
oath. Would he still be ostracized? 

Midshipman Turner. I think he would; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you mean to tell me, then, that a man would be 
ostracized for not breaking his oath? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; he would be ostracized for not 
fighting; I can not conceive of a man who could give a reason like 
that. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it not contrary to the regulations to fight? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it not contrary to your oath? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; it is not contrary to the regulations. 

Mr. Gregg. Class fighting? 

Midshipman Turner. Any kind of a fight. There is nothing in the 
regulations that says there shall be no fighting. 

The Chairman. The word fighting does not appear in the regula¬ 
tions. That is classed under gross disorders. 

Mr. Padgett. Along the same line, speaking about fighting, when 
you were arranging these fights did you ever invite the officers, the 
disciplinary officers, or the superintendent of the academy, or the 
commandant of cadets to witness them ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Why? Would they not be good judges of it? 

Midshipman Turner. I suppose they would have stopped it. 

Mr. Padgett. Why would tney have stopped it? 

Midshipman Turner. Because, I suppose, they would think it was 
not right. 

Mr. Padgett. Then it was against discipline, was it not? Would 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


371 


the3r not have stopped it because it was not in conformity with the 
discipline of the school ? 

(The witness did not answer.) 

Ml*. Padgett. Well, we will go to another question. We will 
get away from the boys. I want to ask you something about the 
officers noy^ Do you know of any case where the officers in the 
school during the present academic year have known of any hazing 
and winked at it, or refused or neglected to report it? 

Midshipman Turner. I know of none myself. I have heard of one 
case. 

Mr. Padgett. Please indicate what it was. 

Midshipman Turner. It came out in the court-martial of Mr. 
Mayo. That is the only one I know of. 

Mr. Padgett. That is the Snyder matter? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any favoritism among officers in 
their treatment here of the cadets in their gradings of their studies 
or in the assignment of demerits for conduct? By favoritism I 
mean unfair treatment. 

Midshipman Turner. I have heard of unjust treatment occa¬ 
sionally; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. What did it consist of? 

Midshipman Turner. Well, I have heard sometimes of instruct¬ 
ors giving unfair marks to people whom they disliked and giving too 
much to people they did like. 

Mr. Padgett. Upon what was that based; just the statement of 
the man himself or an examination of the papers in the case? 

Midshipman Turner. I have seen cases of that myself; at least 
I would judge it to be exceedingly unfair. 

Mr. Padgett. Will you give us the facts of a concrete case, so 
that we may know upon what you base your opinion? 

Midshipman Turner. Well, I have only noticed perhaps two or 
three. I do not remember of but one now, I believe. That was in 
French, in the modern language department. I remember seeing 
one of the midshipmen come into the room one time just before we 
took our seats. He was smiling or laughing about something, and 
the instructor thought he was laughing at him. So he gave him a 
very unsatisfactory mark that day, after speaking to him very harshly 
about it. He gave him a very unsatisfactory mark for that day, 
and I thought the man made a very good recitation myself. 

Mr. Padgett. With reference to hazing, I just want to ask you one 
question. Suppose the punishment for hazing was abolished and 
there was no punishment for hazing at all, would the boys here 
practice it in the present state of their feelings ? 

Midshipman Turner. Well, I do not know. I do not know about 
that. I think the very large majority of the people would be very 
strongly against knocking on hazing again. I think the classes, at 
least the two upper classes, would be against hazing, and I think 
that would be so with a majority of them. There might be some 
that would not feel so. 

Mr. Gregg. You say you believe a majority of the two upper 
classes would be against hazing? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. What do you include in the word hazing? 


372 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Turner. Physical exercises. 

Mr. Gregg. Simply physical exercises ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Would you include sending a man under the table 
under that term? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You would not believe in that? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. I want to ask you a question or two. By whom, in 
the upper class, is the man selected who is to go into the ring with 
the fourth class man? 

Midshipman Turner. The class president, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Is it expected that he will give the fourth class man a 
fair chance? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. In what way? 

Midshipman Turner. In that the weight of the men must be 
practically the same, and their general build is to be just about the 
same—as nearly as possible. 

Mr. Loud. Then they consider that a fair show? 

Midshipman Turner. As fair as can be given, I think; yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Is not that the least qualification of a fighter? Take, 
for instance, a collie dog and a bulldog and have one the same 
weight as the other. Would that indicate an equally fair show 
between the two? The fighting spirit of the bulldog is really the 
prime factor, is it not ? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; I presume it is. 

Mr. Loud. Then the skill which one man has over another is still 
more than the weight? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. So that of the three elements of a fighter—fighting 
spirit, skill, and weight—they pay attention only to the least of the 
three, and simply say that the weight shall be the only real factor 
in matching them? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Outside of an academy like this that would be consid¬ 
ered unfair, would it not? 

Midshipman Turner. There is no other way in which they can 
match them that I know of, sir. 

Mr. Loud. It makes it a foregone conclusion, however, that the 
fourth class man must be defeated? 

Midshipman Turner. Not foregone; no, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. He would be better off if he were whipped the first 
time, would he not? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. From my feeling in the matter I would a good deal 
rather be the man that was whipped than the victor under those 
circumstances. It would be better for my conscience in years to 
come. If I had to feel all my life that I had whipped a fourth class 
man under such circumstances it would be something that I would 
be ashamed of as long as I lived, and I can not understand how they 
can reconcile such a practice with American ideas. You think it is 
a fair proposition to put into a ring here a man who is superior in 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


378 


fighting spirit, of known fighting spirit, a man who is superior in 
skill and in every way, and put against him a fourth class man? 

Midshipman Turner. Well, you do not know anything about 
the fourth class man. It is putting a known quantity against an 
unknown quantity. 

Mr. Loud. Is it not an unfair practice? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not see how else it could be done. 

Mr. Loud. Why do they do it at all? If it can not be done fairly 
why not do away with it? Why be a party to it? 

Midshipman Turner. It has always been considered necessary. 

Mr. Loud. Well, it is a practice that is abhorrent to all the people 
of the United States. It is, I think, more abhorrent than hazing. 
How is it that the young men, knowing that the whole people of the 
United States abhor such an exhibition of unfairness can continue 
it, and why should they continue it? 

Midshipman Turner. I think a man is not very apt sometimes 
to consider what other people think about it. We have a problem 
to solve and we do the best we can to solve it. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you mean to say that they do not care what the 
people think about it? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir; I do not mean to say that at all. 

The Chairman. You were speaking about discipline on board 
ship, which seemed to me to convey a false impression on your part 
as to the orders issued by the captain, and you spoke of what you 
called rates and mentioned certain parts or the deck that junior 
officers should walk upon. The captain of a ship is in command of 
it to give such orders as he may think necessary, and he is the judge 
of it, except, of course, that they can not be contrary to the regula¬ 
tions or to the law. When he indicates a certain portion of the ship 
where a portion of the crew or officers may go, or indicates anything 
else as an order, that is not a rate, is it? That is the issuance of an 
order supposedly for good reason by legal authority. 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir; but I did not say that, sir. He 
does not issue that order. That is just a standing rate from time 
immemorial, I guess, about certain parts of the ship being sacred to 
certain people. • 

The Chairman. But if the captain issues an order that is not 
unlawful or illegal instead of rating it is a proper regulation? 

Midshipman Turner. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Where do you get the conclusion that anywhere, 
in any time, in any country, military discipline and naval discipline 
are included in or depend upon anything except lawful and legal 
authority? The moment you go outside of lawful and legal author¬ 
ity is there not an end to discipline? The moment the soldiers in a 
regiment set up their own system or determine for themselves 
whether they will obey army regulations or directions of their supe¬ 
riors, is there not an end to discipline in that? 

Midshipman Turner. We do not set for ourselves the right to say 
whether we shall obey or disobey regulations; that is, a regulation 
may have been disobeyed, but we do not say that we have the right to 
sav whether w - 

The Chairman. I beg your pardon. The whole theory of this 
institution rests upon self-government. There are four disciplinary 
officers here among nearly a thousand young men. As you say, it 



374 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


would be ridiculous to suppose that those four men could observe 
each man and see that he did his duty in all respects. Hence the 
theory in this school is that the young men shall be appointed among 
themselves, and that there shall be self-government—that from the 
upper classes young men are appointed as cadet officers. Their 
duties are prescribed to them, orders are issued to them, either 
directly or through regulations. They are to observe in the company 
under their charge whether they do the things they ought to do 
according to regulations; whether they commit breaches of discipline 
and of regulations, and to report them. That is the very basis of 
your discipline here,'just the same as it would be in an army. The 
general commanding an army can not see all the companies. He 
must depend on his officers, away down to the petty officers, to do 
the duty intrusted to them. The moment they do not do it discipline 
is at an end in the army. It is a mere disintegrated mob. There is 
no discipline there. You have testified, and we have received the 
same information from numerous sources, that the cadet officers 
here have neglected and refused to perform their plain duty in report¬ 
ing breaches of discipline and violations of regulations. They have 
done that under a code that they have set up themselves—that it is 
a greater impropriety to report a classmate than it is to violate the 
duty they are put there to perform. If that is not absolutely setting 
up a government of their own, in defiance of the regulations and dis¬ 
cipline of the academy, then I am unable to understand what effect 
it has. 

Mr. Dawson. As well as in defiance of the laws of the country. 

The Chairman. As well as of the laws of the land. It seems to me 
that a persistence in educating young men in this school along those 
lines would be fatal to the discipline of the Navy, and would preclude 
the possibility of turning out such officers as we have had during the 
years of our history, who have reflected such credit on their country. 
I can not conceive how young men can figure out discipline in an 
army or navy as being anything but legal and lawful authority. The 
moment we go out of that we depart from legal military discipline. I 
can not conceive of what your idea of respect to a superior must be. 
Respect, in its proper term, means that those who are*inferior in rank 
shall look up to you for the things which you possess, for the abliity 
which you possess. Your conduct in your daily walk of life is the 
thing that invites respect. If I am able to send a man under the 
table or stand him on his head, I can not see how that makes him 
respect me. I can conceive that if I am able to force him to do that 
it n^ay make him fear me. If that is what you want to build up 
among the young men here—that they shall fear those in authority 
through being compelled to do things—I can see, perhaps, that the 
system may bring the result you speak of. Here in this academy are 
officers of the Navy, from the Admiral down to the newest lieutenant. 
I can conceive that respect is due from these young men to those who 
are superior to them in learning, in knowledge, in experience, in all 
those things which would properly invite respect, but could you con¬ 
ceive of an admiral coming into this place, for instance, and forcing a 
younger officer to perform menial service for him—forcing him to 
humiliate himself in some way—in order to invite that young officer’s 
respect ? 

Midshipman Turner. No, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


375 


The Chairman. On the contrary, would it not invite his contempt? 

Midshipman Turner. The younger officer could not show it in any 
wa}^. That is what I mean by saying that it teaches them respect— 
respect for conduct. Perhaps I should have said that. That is 
what I meant all the time—that their conduct, their bea^^ing and 
demeanor toward their superiors, must be respectful. You have to 
have that in a military organization. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you suppose there is an inferior officer connected 
with this academy who, if the Admiral should so far forget himself as 
to VO to a table here and try to make that officer get under the table 
and eat his dinner, would do it? Is there one here who would do it? 

^lidsh pman Turner. I can not conceive of such a circumstance, 
sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Would he not be forever disgraced if he did do it? 

Midshipman Turner. I do not think I would be right in discuss¬ 
ing my officers in that way. 

Mr. Gregg. I am not discussing the officers; I am discussing a 
hypothetical case that will never happen. Would he not be dis¬ 
graced if he submitted to that, in your opinion? 

Midshipman Turner. If the Admiral told him to do it, he would 
do it. 

Mr. Gregg. Do you think he would do it? 

Midshipman Turner. lie would have to. 

The Chairman. I think if he did he would have to retire from the 
Navy. 

Midshipman Turner. Perhaps so. 

The Chairman. I think both of them would be brought before a 
court-martial and summarily dismissed from the Navy, and they 
both ought to be. Hazing, wherever it has gained a foothold, either 
here or at West Point, has always ended in disaster to the school. 
The outbreak of hazing in the last few months in the school has been 
of great damage to this institution, which has stood here for sixty 
years turning out officers who have manned our ships and who have 
fought our battles on the sea. The country and Congress are impa¬ 
tient with the boys in this school for their persistence m violating the 
law of the country. It will be felt in decreased appropriations for 
this school. It will be felt in every way that it can be manifested. 
The young men who have been guilty of these practices here, as they 
pass along, can know that following the men who have become illus¬ 
trious in American history in the Navy, their part in this school, dur¬ 
ing their years here, has been such as, in the opinion of the American 
people, to bring disgrace upon it, to bring it into disrepute, and to 
make Congress and the country care very little whether the school is 
kept up or not, if these practices continue. I think that is a fair 
statement of the feeling of the people of the country in relation to it. 
If the boys here, none of whom have yet reached their majority, 
whose experience in life and in the service has not been large, desire 
to continue to set up their opinions against the opinions of the whole 
country, practically, then they must do it; but they will understand 
that they do it at their peril, and that the country will be very glad 
at the first opportunitv to replace them by those who are willing to 
learn here to obey the laws. I have nothing further to say. 


376 HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN KIRKWOOD HARRY DONAVIN. 

U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman Kikkwood Harry Donavin, U. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Donavin. Kirkwood Harry Donavin. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

Midshipman Donavin. I am from Ohio, sir. 

The Chairman. You are in the third class at present? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Soon to become the second class? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. This committee is sent here from the House of 
Representatives to inquire into the discipline and management here, 
especially as it relates to the practices called hazing. You and your 
classmates know, do you, that, the practices under hazing are con¬ 
trary to the laws of the country? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Why is it that young men sent here to learn to 
enter the service of the United States, to enforce the laws and to obey 
the laws, to enter into a life where discipline is absolutely essential, 
persist in practices, which are contrary to the regulations and laws of 
the country? 

Midshipman Donavin. I think, sir, more than anything else, it is 
because of precedent, because they find conditions existing here when 
they enter the academy, and they follow the customs just as each 
class before them has followed the customs. It seems to my mind 
to be the natural thing for a man to follow the customs in any place 
he goes to, and with that end in view I took up the matter of hazing 
myself. 

The Chairman. The class you belong to now received physical 
hazing, did it? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; except in one instance. 

The Chairman. So that excuse can not be given for the return by 
your class to the practices of physical hazing? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Yet the class as a whole, I suppose, has indulged 
in all branches of hazing that prevail ? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; I think, if you say the class as a 
whole- 

The Chairman. I do not mean that every man in the class has 
done it, but I mean the class has not been distinguished from other 
classes by abstaining from hazing? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the young men know what we think to be the 
very great injury that has been done to this institution which is 
maintained by the people of the United States and supported by 
theru, by keeping up hazing practices? 

Midshipman Donavin. I think they realize that now, sir. I do 
not believe they understood that part of it before. 

The Chairman. Do you think the young men here have drifted 
into these practices rather thoughtlessly, rather than in a spirit of 
defiance to law? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


377 


Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; I think they entered into it with 
no defiance of law in view at all. It has been, as I say, a matter of 
precedent, and each class has taken it up successively. 

The Chairman. When hazing commences, it is something like 
measles; it spreads very rapidly all through a school? • 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; I think that is the case. 

The Chairman. And in the hands of young men who lack pru¬ 
dence, it is most always likely to result in serious injury to some of 
the students, before it is through? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That has always been the history of it, I believe? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. At West Point, five years ago, hazing prevailed 
to a great extent, until it finally resulted in the death of several 
young men in that institution. The entire student body at West 
Point at that time, having seen the bad results which had grown out 
of the system, and notwithstanding they thought that in moderation 
some phases of it would be beneficial, yet as a system, after see¬ 
ing its result, they met and formally declared to the country that 
they would oppose it, that they would discourage it in their classes, 
and endeavor to create an opinion against it among their classmates. 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you happen to know of that action? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; my brother testified before the 
committee. 

The Chairman. It is understood that hazing as a system in West 
Point has been discontinued? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That there may be and undoubtedly is some 
rating, but that hazing proper has been discontinued since that time. 
The system of hazing, as I have said, has brought great injury to 
this institution which has stood here for a great many years, and 
which the people have built up at the expense of a great many millions 
of dollars, and maintained annually at a large expense. The people 
of the United States, so far as we can judge, and the Congress of the 
United States, as we know, are thoroughly impatient with the young 
men who are midshipmen in this school for their apparent disregard 
of the wishes of the people of this country and of the laws of the land. 
This displeasure will be felt in decreased appropriations for this 
school, and in the refusal to grant other things which Congress 
undoubtedly would otherwise grant. So that the young men who have 
taken part in it, doubtless thoughtlessly on the part of a great many 
of them, have brought injury on this institution where they are being 
educated, and whose good name and repute ought to be very dear to 
every boy who goes through it. Do you think, Mr. Donavin, that 
with the knowdedge that has come to them in the last few weeks of 
the opinion of the people of this country upon this subject, and the 
opinion of Congress upon it; the knowledge that has been brought 
home to them that it is unlawful; that they are violating the laws 
of their country whenever they permit it—do you think that they 
would now be willing to remain in an attitude of defiance, and that 
they will only abstain from hazing as they are compelled to do it, 
or do you think that the opinion is such that they would willingly 
meet the wishes of Congress and of the country? 


878 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Don a yin. I believe the general attitude, as I under¬ 
stand it, is that they will meet the wishes of Congress and of the 
country, as the second class have already done. 

The "Chairman. In this country, you know, all of us who expect 
to «erve the United States in any capacity must do it by regarding 
the wishes of the people, especially as expressed in the law of the land. 

Mr. Dawson. How long have you been in the academy? 

Midshipman Donavin. About eighteen months, now—nineteen.^ 

Mr. Dawson. Have you seen anything during the present academic 
year which would lead you to think that any of the naval officers 
connected with the academy countenance the practice of hazing? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; nothing has come under my per¬ 
sonal observation. 

Mr. Dawson. During the last academic year? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; none during that time, with pos¬ 
sibly one exception, which, of course, I can not vouch for entirely. 
That was the case of our class, last year, in the dancing hall. You 
have heard of that? 

]\Ir. Dawson. They put you through the setting-up exercises? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. You called it official hazing? 

Midshipman Donavin. I think we called it official hazing; yes, 
sir. I think during that official hazing our class was probably sub¬ 
jected to more hazing than any man in the fourth class now, in one 
stretch of a week. 

Mr. Loud. I would like you to develop that. 

The Chairman. It is all in the testimony, Mr. Loud. 

Mr. Dawson. During the last academic year did the midshipmen 
think it prudent to exhibit the practices of running within the knowl¬ 
edge of officers? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. They did? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. I myself was observing a fourth 
class rate one day returning from drill. I went along devious ways 
back to the quarters, and one of the officers of the institution stopped 
me and asked me why I went around the long way. I told him 
because I believed in preserving the traditions of the place. That is 
the only instance I know of. 

Mr. Padgett. That was a rate, and not running. 

Mr. Dawson. He did not direct you to do otherwise ? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; he simply told me he thought we 
were foolish to observe such rates. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you noticed any difference in the disposition 
of the officers in that respect during the present school year? 

Midshipman Donavin. I have not observed anything in that line 
this year at all. I have come very little in contact with the officers, 
and I know of nothing in that line. 

Mr. Dawson. Have any of the boys thought it prudent to indulge 
in any of the practices of running within the sight or knowledge of 
officers during the present academic year? 

Midshipman Donavin. I do not think any particular pains were 
taken to conceal the practice of running. I do not think they would 
willfully haze a man in the presence of an officer, but I think as far as 
running goes, and the matter of sitting up straight in the chairs, I 


HAZIXG AT THE KAVAL ACADEMY. 


379 


have seen that from one end of the mess hall to the other in the pres¬ 
ence of the officer in charge. Of course, all these practices occurred 
last year. 

Mr. Dawson. During the last academic year? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; during my plebe year. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you noticed anything of that Kind during the 
present academic year? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; up until the last four weeks it has 
been carried out. In the last four weeks the fourth class men have 
not been molested one way or the other, and I may say that longer 
than four weeks ago they could do as they pleased, if they so desired. 

The Chairman. The fourth class is now voluntarily maintaining 
some of the rates, is it not? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; I think they are holding on to the 
rates in general. I have come across several instances. 

The Chairman. If they choose to take the long way around, in 
walking, nobody objects to it? 

Midshipman Donavin. Nobody objects, although there are no long 
walks for fourth class men this year at all. 

Mr. Dawson. Is it your opinion that the fourth class men would 
observe these rates without coercion, as of their own volition? 

Midshipman Donavin. As a class; yes. I do not mean the rate 
of sitting up in the chairs, because that has been entirely tabooed by 
the second class. They are not required to do that. They carry on 
very little conversation at the table, and the plebes, as a rule—I beg 
3mur pardon, the fourth class men—observe all their rates. 

Mr. Dawson. That is what I had reference to. Proper rates, I 
will say. 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. In the direction of increased privileges as the men 
go up in the school? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. We observe our own rates our¬ 
selves. We have some very severe rates in the third class to main¬ 
tain, and with the exception of one man we observe those rates. 
That one man let a rate slip by, because he knew he was going to 
bilge, or be dropped—be requested to resign. 

Mr. Dawson. You observe them voluntarily? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. It is not necessary for the upper class men to haze 
you to induce you to maintain those rates? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; they maintain those rates to pre¬ 
serve the traditions of the place. 

Mr. Loud. Is it possible to maintain those rates without the pen¬ 
alties of hazing ana class fighting? 

Midshipman Donavin. les, sir; I think it is possible. 

Mr. Loud. Without those things that you call hazing and class 
fighting ? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; I think it is possible. Of course, 
you have to deal with the man himself. If a man chooses to break 
the rates and defy not the upper classes but the traditions, he stands 
alone. He will be- 

Mr. Loud. Discountenanced by his fellows? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. The people of this country abhor not only hazing, but 



380 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


they have as great abhorrence or more for some phases of class fight¬ 
ing, or for the custom. 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. While they have no objection to rates, as I understand, 
still they have the greatest abhorrence for those other practices. So 
I ask the question. Is it not possible to maintain rates by some other 
method ? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. I believe if a fourth class man 
makes himself obnoxious, or a second or third class man makes him¬ 
self obnoxious, another man in his class can warn him. I do not 
mean that they would have to beat him up, to use our expression, 
but I think they are justified in warning him. 

Mr. Loud. In Yale, and Harvard, Cornell, and Michigan Univer¬ 
sity we hear nothing of personal fights. 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Why is it that in this academy, where they are known 
to be the most gentlemanly of men in other ways, it must continue? 

Midshipman Donavin. You mean fighting in general, or- 

Mr. Loud. Class fighting. 

Midshipman Donavin. I do not think class fighting will continue 
from now on. I think, in fact, there have been no class fights this 
year, to my knowledge. 

Mr. Loud. But it would be ended by the voluntary action of the 
members of the classes themselves? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know of the action of the first class with 
regard to fighting? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know whether your class intends to indi¬ 
cate in any way whether it will meet the desires of Congress and of 
the country in endeavoring to do away with hazing? 

Midshipman Donavin. I do not know how the class will act in the 
matter. At present the second class has tabooed hazing, and that is 
sufficient, I think, at least for the present. Our time has not come 
yet for a decision, because the second class has said that they will 
not allow hazing, and if any hazing is going on it will be reported. 

The Chairman. But your time, referring to your class, has come, 
so far as its opportunity to inform Congress and the country of your 
views as a class upon the subject are concerned? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Whether you voluntarily wish to meet the senti¬ 
ment of the people, or whether you are in a sullen mood in which you 
are willing to abstain from hazing only as long as you are compelled 
to. That opportunity, I suppose, will not be open to you at all times. 

Mr. Gregg. Since the second class has acted as it has, will not the 
silence of your class be construed to be a determination to continue 
the practice of hazing? 

Midshipman Donavin. Perhaps it will to people outside, but to 
ourselves I do not believe it will be so construed. 

Mr. Gregg. If you are all of that opinion—that it ought to be 
stopped—as a matter of justice in putting yourselves right before the 
people, what do you think your duty is? 

Midshipman Donavin. I think, unquestionably, to take action in 
regard to the matter, but there are some things which will cause more 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


381 


or less of a factional fight in the class when such action takes place. 
For instance, the second class have not only tabooed hazing, but they 
have taken up the matter of defending the fourth class men—I do 
not mean defending, but rather- 

The Chairman. Protecting them? 

Midshipman Donavin. Treating them a good deal better than our 
class. I know of an instance last evening, where a second class man 
on duty showed some discrimination in favor of a fourth class man. 

Mr. Loud. That is an individual matter, a lack of judgment, 
perhaps. 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You mean that it is not the class action, but the 
action of that one individual ? 

Mr. Loud. Yes. 

Mr. Gregg. Is the failure of your class to act due in any respect 
to the fact that the second class has taken its action ? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; I do not think so. We have not 
had time to consider the matter. The second class took its action 
without any of our class knowing anything about it.. We knew abso¬ 
lutely nothing about what their action was to be. 

Mr. Gregg. Has there not been a little feeling of jealousy which 
has grown up out of that fact? 

Midshipman Donavin. There is some jealousy between our 
classes, I confess. 

Mr. Gregg. Has it not grown out of the fact that the second 
class took its action? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; I think it grew out of the fact 
that the second class, from the time they became first class men 
here, have not treated our class as well as they might have and as 
well as they were treated themselves. 

Mr. Gregg. Is not your failure to act due somewhat to that rebel¬ 
lion between the two classes? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; more or less. 

Mr. Gregg. To that jealousy between the two classes? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. You do not want to be considered as following their 
lead ? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir. I think in time, I may say within 
a week, our class may take the same action. I have expected it 
for some time, but as I say, there will be a factional fight for the 
reason that some people have taken it into their minds that the 
second class have not treated us well, and several instances have 
come to my own observation. 

Mr. Gregg. Can you afford, because of that feeling against the 
second class, to permit yourselves to remain in a false light before 
the people? 

Midshipman Donavin. No, sir; I do not think we can. I say 
inside of a week I thilik our action will be taken. 

The Chairman. This school belongs to the people of the United 
States. It does not belong to the second class. 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You are going to serve the people of the United 
States, and you are not going to serve the second class. That is 
true, of course. 



382 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Then you should not permit the first class, or 
what is now the senior class—the second class—to put themselves 
in a position where they can secure credit at your expense. 

Midshipman Donavin. I see; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Your action is regardless of the action of the 
second class. Your action, if you take any, and if it is the opinion 
of your class that you should, is because you believe such action 
to be right, and because you wish the people of the country and- 
Congress to understand how you feel about it. That is, that you 
voluntarily, of your own free will, desire to place yourselves in accord 
with the feelings of your country and of Congress. That is all I 
have to ask, Mr. Donavin. 

Mr. Loud. I was going to suggest the fact, and to ask if he realizes 
that he is a picked man from 200,000 people in the district from 
which he came, and that every student here is a picked man, and that 
the academy is made up of the pick of the young men of the country. 
You realize that? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. And that the whole country has the greatest pride in 
you, because you are the picked young men of the country. You 
realize that? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. So you can realize, then, the interest with wdiich we 
look to you now ? 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Having by a mistake, which I think you all acknow¬ 
ledge— 

Midshipman Donavin. Yes, sir; I think so. 

Mr. Loud. Brought some discredit upon this great national 
academy, you must realize that the opportunity has come to you to 
express your feelings in this matter. 

The Chairman. Did you wish him to understand that, the people 
of the country are feeling especial pride in the school at the present 
time? 

Mr. Loud. No; in them, as young men. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN HENRY THOMAS MARKLAND. 

U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman Henry Thomas Markland, U. S. Navy, having been 
duly sworn, testified as follows; 

The Chairman. You belong to the present third class, soon to be 
the second class—at the end of this year? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir.* 

The Chairman. What is your rank in your class? 

Midshipman Markland. 1 was third, last year, sir. 

The Chairman. Third. You are pretty well •up toward the top. 
What was your purpose in coming to the Naval Academy, Mr. 
Markland? Why did you seek the opportunity to come here?* 

Midshipman Markland. Well, to enter the naval service, sir; 
something that I had always desired to do. 

The Chairman. So that you could be a naval officer? 

Midshipman Markland.* Yes, sir. 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 383 

The Chairman. As a naval officer advances in the service, he 
commands the vessels of the United States, does he not ? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And has great responsibilities? 

Midshipman Markland. Ye^, sir. 

The Chairman. He has under his charge the lives of a great many 
men and property of great value. What would you consider to be 
the most necessary thing on the part of a crew on a battle ship under 
your command ? 

Midshipman Markland. Obedience to orders, sir. 

The Chairman. Unless you had absolute, unquestioned obedience 
to the orders you gave you could not expect successfully to navigate 
your ship or to fight an enemy? 

Midshipman Markland. No, sir. 

The Chairman. The learning of obedience to orders, then, must be 
a very necessary part of the education in this academy, I take it ? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The young men who come here are educated at 
the expense of the country for the purpose of entering the service 
of the country, where, as you say, obedience to orders is the founda¬ 
tion of all naval or military organization. It is the one indispensable 
thing. How do you account for the fact that a body of young men 
being educated in the Government school for such purposes should 
in such large numbers disobey the laws of the United States and the 
regulations of their superior officers? 

Midshipman Markland. Well, sir, that is a pretty hard thing to 
say, and I can not pretend to give an opinion on that, sir. I can give 
my own opinion or the reason. 

The Chairman. How do you account for it? 

Midshipman Markland. I think it is merely the effervescence of 
animal spirits and thoughtlessness. I do not think there is any 
serious desire to disobey regulations. I am sure it is nothing of that 
kind, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the young men here understand that their 
persistence in the practice of hazing, contrary to the law of the 
country and contrary to the wishes of the people of the United States, 
is hurting the academy very seriously? Do they appreciate that or 
do you think they do not know much about it? 

Midshipman Markland. I do not think they know much about it. 
I do not think they appreciate it. 

The Chairman. Has this fact been impressed on their attention 
during the last few months? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think they have a different view of it now 
from what they had before it was called to their attention so sharply? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir; I think they have. 

The Chairman. Do you think the young men here ought to do 
those things, and abstain from doing those things which the people 
of the United States and the laws of the land require or forbid ? 

Midshipman Markland. No, sir; I do not think they should, but 
I think it depends somewhat on the way in which you look at it. An 
outsider—I mean one who has never been through the academy—does 
not understand exactly the conditions in the academy. As soon as 
a man gets in here he becomes strongly in favor of that practice. I 


384 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


do not know what there is about it, but that has been true. It is 
something that I can not explain, sir. But I do not think they 
should, in a cold-blooded way, or iri any way at all, disobey any of 
the laws of the country. 

The Chairman. Do you know whether your classmates, in view of 
all that has taken place, knowing, as they do now, the feeling of the 
country about it, desire to persist in these practices ? 

Midshipman Markland. No, sir; it has been stopped now, sir. 

The Chairman. That is all I desire to ask. 

Mr. Dawson. Why do you think it has been stopped? 

Midshipman Markland. Because I have seen none of it, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. But for what reason? Is it stopped for fear of pun¬ 
ishment or because the boys have had a change of heart on the subject ? 

Midshipman Markland. I think it has been stopped because the 
whole sentiment has turned against it, sir, since the trouble that has 
been had down here. 

Mr. Dawson. Do the boys realize now that it is a violation of the 
law of their country? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir; and they want to give the acad¬ 
emy a better name. 

Mr. Gregg. Do they realize that the people have regarded them 
as a kind of a lawless set here? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir; very strongly. 

The Chairman. Perhaps it will not be necessary to try to go over 
with Mr. Markland fully the ground that we have gone over hereto¬ 
fore. It is getting along toward supper time, and I think there are 
two or three more to be heard yet. 

Mr. Gregg. I think we have covered the ground. 

Mr. Dawson. May I ask if you have seen, during your eighteen 
months here, any evidence to lead you to believe that the naval 
officers of this academy countenance the practice of hazing ? 

Midshipman Markland. No, sir; I have seen nothing of it. 

Mr. Loud. Has it been your belief that they did? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. That they were in sympathy with it? 

Midshipman Markland. I think so; I know so, sir, because— 
well, I have gotten that idea in some way. 

Mr. Loud. You have an impression that that is the case? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir. I have nothing definite to offer 
as evidence of such a thing, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Does that impression prevail generally, do you think, 
among the midshipmen? 

Midshipman Markland. Yes, sir; I think it has. 

Mr. Dawson. When did that impression change? The present 
impression is not so? 

Midshipman Markland. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. When did this change take place? 

Midshipman Markland. I do not know, sir. That would be pretty 
hard to answer. I can not say. 

Mr. Gregg. Was it before or after that investigation started here— 
that board of inquiry—or was it about that time? 

Midshipman Markland. I think probably it was about that time, 
sir, or shortly afterwards. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


385 


STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN LUTHER WELSH, U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman Luther Welsh, U. S. Navy, having been first duly 
sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Welsh. Lutner Welsh. 

The Chairman. You are from the State of Missouri? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. In the fourth class? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is your standing in your class? 

Midshipman Welsh. Second, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. What is your age? 

Midshipman Welsh. Sixteen years and about eight months, sir. 
The Chairman. You must have to study pretty hard to keep sec¬ 
ond in a class of 240 boys, do you not, Mr. Welsh? 

Midshipman Welsh. Sometimes I do. 

The Chairman. Do you not have to study every day pretty hard? 
Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir; pretty hard. 

The Chairman. You will become a member of the third class when ? 
Midshipman Welsh. In just about four months, now, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you been made to do these practices that 
they call hazing, some ? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What feats have you performed? 

Midshipman Welsh. I have been on my head and done the six¬ 
teenth and the rabbit dance, sir. 

The Chairman. You are pretty expert in the rabbit dance? 
Midshipman Welsh. No, sir; I just did that a couple of times. 
The Chairman. You are just learning it? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many times have you ever been on your 
head? 

Midshipman Welsh. I have not been on my head more than 20 at 
one time, sir. 

The Chairman. Some of the boys can go on their heads as many 
as 100 or 200 times, can they not? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir; most of them could, I guess, if they 
had to. But we are not usually asked to do very much. 

The Chairman. Would 100 be a good many times? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It would tire you out a good deal? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you ever have to do the leaning rest? 
Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you know what it is? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many times can a boy do that without tiring 
him very much. 

Midshipman Welsh. Fifteen would make him pretty tired. 

The Chairman. Have you been made to wait on the upper class 
men, some, and take care of their rooms, wind their clocks, call them 
in the morn ng, or perform services for them? 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1-25 


386 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Welsh. I have had to wind clocks^ and wake them in 
the morning. 

The Chairman. What time do you have to get up in order to do 
that ? 

Midshipman Welsh. I did not have to wake them until about 
twenty minutes after reveille. 

The Chairman. You did not have to get up any earlier than you 
were obliged to by the regulations ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you ever been sent under the table ? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you like to do that? 

Midshipman Welsh. Well, sir, I did not mind it at all, because 
when I was under there the upper class men were not watching, and 
you could laugh if you pleased, or anything like that. I was never 
asked to eat anything under the table, and it was always for a very 
short time. 

The Chairman. Were some of the boys required to eat under the 
table ? 

Midshipman Welsh. Some were, I believe. 

The Chairman. The food was passed under, and they would eat it? 

Midshipman Welsh. I have never seen any of it, but I have heard 
they did. 

The Chairman. Do you not think that is a pretty humiliating 
practice to put upon an American boy? 

Midshipman Welsh. It struck me that it might be, to have him 
eat there, but t never struck me so to just go under. 

The Chairman. Just to stay under the table. .You never did that 
much at home, did you? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Would you not feel rather humiliated if your 
father should make you stay under the table while they were eating 
dinner ? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Why is it less humiliating to be sent under the 
table here than it is at home? 

Midshipman Welsh. I have never been under when they were 
eating. It was always after we were all through. It just never 
struck me that way. 

The Chairman. Do you think you have been benefited any by 
these practices of being sent under the table and made to stand on 
your head, and all those things ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do you think peop’e ought to have authority over 
you to order you to do whatever they please, unless they have some 
official position? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. The class ahead of you was not hazed, was it? 

Midshipman Welsh. Not physically, sir. 

The Chairman. Did your class th nk it right that those boys who 
were not hazed themselves should haze you boys who were com ng in? 

Midshipman Welsh. We did not think t was exactly just, but 
still they did not get physical hazing. Still, they were not treated as 
upper class men would be. They got what was practically the same. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


387 


The Chairman. Do the boys in your class approve of these prac¬ 
tices of being ordered about by the third class men, or the class above 
them? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They do approve of it? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. They like to go under the table and stand on their 
heads until they are unconscious sometimes? 

Midshipman Welsh. It is not especially that, sir, but—well, we, 
most of us believed in the system. We thought it was a good thing. 
We thought those parts of it would be good in their places, and we 
believed in hazing as a system. 

The Chairman. Standing on your head and all those exercises are 
parts of the system, are they not? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Sending a man under the table is part of the 
system, isnT it ? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You say you do not like to do those things, and 
yet you believe in the system? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How do you explain your being in favor of the 
system and yet being against these practices under the system? 

Midshipman Welsh. Well, we have been in here about six months, 
most of us, and we have gotten to believe that fourth class men ought 
to be taught those things, ought to be put through this system of 
hazing or running—that it is good for them in the end. 

The Chairman. They have impressed that belief on you, have they ? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose some of the boys had to have that belief 
impressed on them by fighting an upper class man and getting licked. 
Where they do not believe those things an upper class man licks them, 
and that helps them to believe, does it not ? 

Midshipman Welsh. They do not have to fight unless they want 
to. If a person says he does not want to be hazed, he can go through 
without being hazed, but he can not haze any one afterwards. 

The Chairman. If they refuse to be hazed and then refuse to fight, 
they are sent to Coventry, are they not ? They have nobody to speak 
to them; their own class men would have no respect for them? Is 
not that the system ? 

Midshipman Welsh. It would probably end in that; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that they really are compelled to submit to 
these practices, or else they have got to fight the upper class men, and 
if they win they have got to fight another upper class man. If they 
refuse to fight they might as well be off alone in the woods, because 
no one will pay any attention to them or speak to them. So that 
these opinions which are held in the fourth class after they are here 
awhile are forced on them, are they not ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir; I do not think the opinions are 
forced on them, because if a person would have to submit to this he 
would not necessarily believe in it, just because he had been through 
it. 

The Chairman. Do the boys in your class know that it is against 
the law of the United States; that these practices are against the law 
of the United States? 


388 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir; they would know it if they thought 
about it. 

The Chaikman. Do the boys of your class want to violate the laws 
of the country ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do they think a good naval officer can be made 
out of a boy who, while he is being trained for it, violates the law and 
the regulations of the school ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Do the boys in your class, knowing that it is 
against the law, want to continue these practices when they become 
third class men? 

Midshipman Welsh. Well, I suppose they did. They do not now. 

The Chairman. Have you talked with some of them about it? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir; we have all discussed it more or less. 

The Chairman. You think they are now opposed to the system? 

Midshipman Welsh. Well, I do not know that they are opposed 
to the system itself, but they are opposed to continuing it, because, 
I suppose, of these laws. 

The Chairman. Your class has taken no action as a class, has it, 
to indicate that they are willing to obey the laws? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir; we do not really have much to do 
about that. It is the senior class over there that <iecides almost 
everything of that kind. 

The Chairman. Yes. Well, if the other classes decide against 
hazing, so that your class is not hazed during the year, would your 
class feel that they should start up the practice again when they 
became third class men? 

Midshipman Welsh. The consideration that hazing is stopped 
now would not make much difference, sir, because we have had 
enough already to entitle us to do it. 

The Chairman. You think that because you have been hazed that 
you ought to haze the next lot of boys that come in? 

Midshipman Welsh. Well, no, sir. We will not haze, but if 
hazing were started again we would be entitled to it. That is what 
I mean. 

The Chairman. But if the system is done away with, then you 
are willing to fall in, and not haze the next class? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. We really have not any choice 
in the matter until we are the senior class. 

The Chairman. If the senior class is against it, then the other 
classes can not haze ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You would not think, at home, would you, of 
permitting some other boy even if he was larger to make you stand 
on your head and wait on him and go under the table if he told 
you to? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

The Chairman. You would fight first, would you not? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And liit him with a club if he tried to make vou 
do it? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


389 


The Chairman. That is what the boys up my way would do, and 
I think they ought to do it. I have nothing further to ask. 

Mr. Gregg. I have no questions to ask. 

Mr. Padgett. I think I will ask one or two questions, Mr. Chairman. 

The Chairman. Go ahead. 

Mr. Padgett. Whilst there has been a good deal of hazing going 
on, do you know of any cases where the naval officers knew of it 
and did not say or did not do anything about it? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Have you any reason to believe that they did 
know of it and did not do anything to stop it ? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. These things were all kept from the naval officers? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. You have nothing to make you think that the 
officers here had found it out and had not tried to stop it? You do 
not know of anything that makes you think they knew it and did not 
do anything to stop it? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Mr. Welsh, do you know of any instance during 
this year where any member of your class has had to fight an upper 
class man? 

Midshipman Welsh. The only fight I know of between a member 
of the fourth class and an upper class man was purely a personal 
matter. The man had been a member of the present third class, so 
he did not have to take any hazing. 

Mr. Dawson. Did he fight with a man that he had a personal 
difference with? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. When did that occur, do you remember? 

Midshipman Hayes. I think it was in the last weeks of October, 
almost as soon as the academic year began. 

^Ir. Dawson. It was before the Branch-Meriwether fight? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. This was a member of the fourth class and a member 
of the third class? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir; a member of the first class. 

Mr. Dawson. A member of the fourth class and a member of the 
first class engaged in a personal encounter? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. It is not what you understand as a class fight? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know whether either one was seriously 
injured, and if they had to go to the hospital? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir; they did not fight long; and the 
member of the fourth class apologized. 

Mr. Dawson. It was not a very serious fight, then? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. Neither one was injured very badly? 

Midshipman Welsh. No, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Was that just a fight on the spur of the moment, or 
was it arranged with seconds and referees and timekeepers? 

Midshipman Welsh. They did not just get angry and start in to 
fight. I suppose they had seconds. Still, it was not a class fight. 


390 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Padgett. In what sense was it personal ? Do you know what 
it was about? 

Midshipman Welsh. This first class man did not know that this 
man was a bilger, as we call them, and he did not have to keep the 
rates as a plebe does. He called him down for something, and the 
fourth class man got angry about it and said something he should 
not have said, and they had a fight. But the fourth class man 
apologized for saying what he did. 

Mr. Dawson. This fourth class man was one who had been set 
back from the third class? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Was it a case of trying, by a fight, to enforce an 
observance of the rates? 

Midshipman WeLsh. No, sir; the rates just started it. 

Mr. Padgett. I say, the rates started it? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And because he did not observe the rates the first 
class man spoke to him about it? 

Mr. Loud. It was a misunderstanding between them in regard to 
the rates. 

Mr. Padgett. This bilger did not have to observe the rates, but 
the first class man thought he did have to observe them, and he got 
after him because he refused to observe them, did he not? 

Midshipman Welsh. Well, I suppose he saw him doing something 
that a plebe should not do and just told him not to do it. The man 
answered back pretty sharply, and so the first class man got angry 
at that—not anything about the rate, but just because he answered 
him the way he did. 

Mr. Padgett. But the sharp answer arose out of his trying to make 
him observe a rate? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. But it would have happened if 
any third class man had done the same thing. They would have 
fought just the same. 

Mr. Padgett. Or a second class man or any other upper class man? 

Midshipman Welsh. Yes, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN JOHN FINDLEY DONELSON, IT. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman John Findley Donelson, U. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

Mr. Loud. You are from Oklahoma? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Mr. McGuire appointed you, I guess? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Donelson. John Findley Donelson. 

The Chairman. How old are you? 

Midshipman Donelson. Nineteen, sir. 

The Chairman. You belong to the present fourth class? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And in a few months you will be in the third class? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Mr. Donelson, the academ}^ and the cadets in the 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


391 


academy, in the upper classes, to some extent have fallen into dis¬ 
repute with the people of the country, and with Congress, owing to 
the outbreak of hazing which has occurred here in the past few 
months. Perhaps you laiow now that the sentiment of the country 
is strong against it, and that the sentiment of Congress is strong 
against it, that they regard it as a whole as a very unmanly, cowardly, 
and un-American system. 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You know also, do you, that it is against the laws 
of the country to haze in the military schools? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you been hazed during your stay here, 
Mr. Donelson? 

Midshipman Donelson. To some extent; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you been hazed pretty freely, or have you 
been neglected some? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir; I have not been hazed enough 
to experience any- 

The Chairman. Personal injury? 

Midshipman Donelson. Personal injury or anything like that; 
no, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you been made to do practices which you 
regarded as humiliating? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; to some extent. 

The Chairman. Have you ever been sent under the table? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, indeed. 

The Chairman. Would you go under the table if an upper class 
man should order you to ? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, indeed, sir. 

The Chairman. What would you do? 

Midshipman Donelson. Well, very likely if a person refused to 
do something like that he would have a fight on his hands. 

The Chairman. You would rather fight than be compelled to 
humiliate yourself? 

Midshipman Donelson. To that extent; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not object to rates, I understand; that is, 
to the proper respect toward upper class men; and where there are 
not privileges enough to go around you are willing that the first class 
men should have the first chance at it ? 

Midshipman Donelson. Certainly, sir. 

The Chairman. You do not think, you say, that it is required of 
an American boy that he shall humiliate himself at the order of 
someone who has no authority? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Have you ever been required or requested by 
upper class men to perform menial services for them, sucn as taking 
care of a room, or anything of that kind? 

Midshipman Donelson. Well, not exactly taking care of a room. 
I have had a few times to waken an upper class man up at a certain 
hour in the morning, and perhaps close his window or something of 
that sort at some time. 

The Chairman. You did it voluntarily? 

Midshipman Donelson. Oh, yes, sir. 



392 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. The third class never received physical hazing, did 
they? 

Midshipman Donelson. I understand not, sir. 

The Chairman. Yet in the last few months they have practiced 
physical hazing toward the under class? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is hardly a fair deal, is it ? 

Midshipman Donelson. Well, it hardly seems the right thing to 
do; no, sir. Still, I guess of the kind of hazing the third class got, 
they got a great deal of it. 

The Chairman. That is, running? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; it is commonly called running. 

The Chairman. Do you not think that practices which tend to 
humiliate a man and to make him lose his self-respect if he performs 
them are as bad or worse than being required to do physical exercises? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; I do. 

The Chairman. Will the action of the first class in resolving to 
discountenance hazing, to discourage it, have the effect or will it assist 
in doing away with hazing after the balance of the year? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. I suppose your class has nothing to say as to 
whether hazing shall prevail at present or not ? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir; nothing whatever. 

The Chairman. You gentlemen may now ask any questions you 
wish. 

Mr. Padgett. Mr. Donelson, have you ever been put on your head? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; I have been put on my head. 

Mr. Padgett. Did you ever do the sixteenth? 

Midshipman Donelson. Very little. 

Mr. Padgett. You have done some? 

Midshipman Donelson. Some; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Have you ever performed the crew? 

Midshipman Donelson. I never did. 

Mr. Padgett. Have you been required to sing? 

Midshipman Donelson. Oh, yes. 

Mr. Padgett. And to tell stories? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Did you ever write a bazoo? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Or do the leaning rest ? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Or the admiraFs salute? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose a fourth class man should come here and 
observe all the rates without violating any of them, and should treat 
the upper class men with precise respect in all respects, would he be 
hazed? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; he would be very apt to get 
some hazing before the year was over. 

My Padgett. For what purpose would he be hazed? 

Midshipman Donelson. Well, for no particular purpose, I pre¬ 
sume, but just because- 

Mr. Padgett. Just because he is a fourth class man? 

Midshipman Donelson. Just because he is a fourth class man. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


393 


Mr. Padgett. Do I understand that every fourth class man is 
hazed, so that there are no exceptions? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; I think I would be perfectly 
safe in saying that is the way it is; though, of course, a man who 
conducts himself in that way is not very likely to get much of it. 

Mr. Padgett. But he would be hazed? 

Midshipman Donelson. He would be hazed or run; yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. In answer to a question by the chairman you stated 
that the action of the first class, the present senior class, which we 
call the first class, in declining to countenance hazing, and in setting 
themselves against it, will stop hazing for the remainder of this aca¬ 
demic year? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. If the second class, or the third class, as it now is, 
declines to take such action, will the custom of hazing revive next 
year? 

Midshipman Donelson. That is entirely in the hands of the third 
class men, sir. When the present second class graduates of course 
the third class will then have to take their action for or against 
hazing. It is up to them then, entirely. 

Mr. Padgett. Suppose they do not take action one way or the 
other, affirmatively. Will hazing then revive? Would the succeed¬ 
ing third class, which would then be the second class, take up hazing? 

Midshipman Donelson. I do not know about that. I guess if 
any of them chose to they would have a perfect right to, as far as 
any interference from their classmates were concerned . 

Mr. Padgett. They would feel at liberty to do it? 

Mdshipman Donelson. They would feel at liberty to do it; I 
presume so. 

Mr. Padgett. You think they would feel that the custom and tra¬ 
dition of the school gave them authority to haze? 

^lidshipman Donelson. Why, yes, sir; I think it would, until the 
class as a class decided to abolish the system. 

Mr. Padgett. And that class action applies only during its class 
existence? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And at the termination of the class existence the 
tradition of the school then gives a license to the succeeding class to 
adopt such course as it chooses to pursue ? 

Midshipman Donelson. That is the way I understand it; I, of 
course, do not know for certain about things of that sort. 

Mr. Padgett. In other words, you get your license to haze from the 
traditions of the school? 

Midshipman Donelson. I think so. 

Mr. Padgett. Now, then, do you regard that license as paramount 
to the regulations ? Do you regard the customs and traditions of the 
school as superior to the regulations of the school? 

Midshipman Donelson. Personally, I do not; no, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. I am speaking of the classes here, as to how it is 
regarded in the school—the prevalent idea? 

Midshipman Donelson. It seems, by the past year, that it has 
been regarded so, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. How is it at present? What is the sentiment on 
that question now in the school, with the boys ? How do they relate, 
the one to the other?] 


394 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Donelson. I guess almost all of the upper class men 
are in favor of the system, and seem to think it is a good thing. I 
think, too, that some of the fourth class men would be very sorry to 
see it abolished. They would like to see the system stay in full force. 

Mr. Padgett. My idea is this: When this excitement blows over 
and things quiet down to their normal condition, will the boys in the 
school feel that they owe more obligation to the regulations of the 
school or to the traditions of the school ? 

Midshipman Donelson. I expect, sir, they would feel rather under 
obligations to the traditions, if they were not promised, bound, or 
anything like that, to abstain. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think the traditions of the school would out¬ 
weigh in their minds the law of their country ? If they realized that 
on one hand is the tradition of the school and on the other is the viola¬ 
tion of an explicit statute passed by the Congress of the United 
States and signed by the President, which do you think would out¬ 
weigh in their mind ? 

Midshipman Donelson. Well, the law might outweigh, but I do 
not think this question has ever been brought up before them so fully 
as it has been now, and it is kind of hard to tell how they will feel after 
it has all blown over. 

Mr. Dawson. What would be the natural disposition of the class, 
as between anv opinion of their own or any customs and the question 
of breaking a law, in your opinion ? 

Midshipman Donelson. I will tell you. They are mightily in 
favor of this hazing, sir. They hate to see that abolished. I know 
that; although it is absolutely abolished now as long as this present 
senior class is in here. 

Mr. Gregg. There is one question I would like to ask. ^Ir. Pad¬ 
gett confined his questions to the present academic year; but their 
action covers the next academic year as well as the remainder of this ? 

Midshipman Donelson. As long as this senior class is in here. 

Mr. Padgett. They go out a year from now ? 

Midshipman Donelson. A year and four months. 

Mr. Padgett. I think they go out in Februar}^, 1907? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Mr. Dawson. What is your personal view as to the maintenance of 
the system of hazing ? 

Midshipman Donelson. You mean as to whether I think it would 
be continued or not ? 

Mr. Dawson. I mean as to whether you think it ought to be con¬ 
tinued or not ? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir; I do not think it ought to be con¬ 
tinued. 

Mr. Padgett. What do you think about whether it will be con¬ 
tinued or not ? 

Midshipman Donelson. I think it undoubtedly will be continued 
unless the next class that comes in power decides against it. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you think your opinion prevails among a major¬ 
ity of 3mur classmates ? 

Midshipman Donelson. Of course a majority of my classmates, I 
think, are against it now, as they have been receiving it right along, 
and they of course do not like it very much. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 395 

Mr. Gregg. But would a majority of them like to have it revived 
so that they could get even next year? How about that? 

Midshipman Donelson. I do not believe that is so. 

Mr. Gregg. Well, I am glad to hear that. 

Midshipman Donelson. I have not heard very many say, but I 
have heard some. 

Mr. Gregg. But you think a majority do not hold that view? 

^lidshipman Donelson. I think a majority do not. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you known of any fights during the present 
academic year in which a member of your class was involved ? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir; not with an upper class man. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know of any class fights? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. In which a member of your class was involved with 
an upper class man ? 

Midshipman Donelson. Not that I know of. 

Mr. Padgett. Do you know of any cases where hazing has been 
going on that the officers of the school knew of and failed to take 
notice of? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir; none whatever. 

^Ir. Padgett. Do you know of any cases where you suspect that 
such is the case? 

Midshipman Donelson. No, sir; none whatever. I do not think, 
so far as I have been able to see, that the officers knew anything 
about it. 

^Ir. Dawson. During what hours of the day did most of the hazing 
take place during the past year? 

Midshipman Donelson. Mostly from 9.30 to 10 p. m.; 9.30 was 
immediately after our study hour. We turned in at 10. 

Mr. Gregg. Did you have taps at 10? 

Midshipman Donelson. Yes, sir; and that is when most of the 
hazing occurred. 

The subcommittee (at 6.20 o’clock p. m.) adjourned until to-mor¬ 
row, Saturday, February 24, 1906, at 10 o’clock a. m. 


United States Naval Academy, 
Annapolis, Md., Saturday, February 2^, 1906. 

The subcommittee met at 10 o’clock a. m., Hon. E. B. Vreeland in 
the chair. 

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT OF REAR-ADMIRAL JAMES H. SANDS, 

U. S. NAVY. 

Rear Admiral James H. Sands, U. S. Navy, appeared before the 
subcommittee. 

The Chairman. Admiral, it seems to us that you have got the dis¬ 
cipline of this place up to a point whereby violations by the cadets 
must be pretty well bottled up; but it occurs to us that the surgeons’ 
department may possibly be made a little more useful by the issuance 
of some additional orders on your part. We find from the examina¬ 
tion of the surgeon and the assistant surgeon that when they are trans¬ 
ferred here from some other station, as they call it, or from on board 




396 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


ship, they bring here precisely the views which they entertained of 
their duties when at another station or on board ship, where the ele¬ 
ment of discipline is entirely left out. I do not think it occurs to 
them, in coming here, that there is any change in their duties owing 
to this new element which exists at tne Naval Academy, namely, the 
necessity for maintaining discipline among eight or nine hundred boys. 
Surgeon Stone appeared before the subcommittee, and in describing 
the proceedings which take place in case a boy comes into the hos¬ 
pital with an injury, he says: 

The CiiAiEMAN. What would your report to the commandant be? 

Surgeon Stone. Simply his name and class. 

The Chairman. Anything about the injury? 

Surgeon Stone. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Is any inquiry made by you as to how he received it? 

Surgeon Stone. There would naturally be some inquiry if it was not self-evident. 

It seems, then, that their view of it is that they shall make such 
inquiries as would be necessary for their information in treating the 
case, although I think it is fair to Doctor Byrnes to say that he seems 
to be making further inquiries where there is evidence of fighting. 

Admiral Sands. That is my own surgeon. I brought him with me. 
He was with me before, and he knows my views and he conducts his 
duty m accordance with my views, or always trys to—the views he 
has known I entertained during the two years he was with me. 

The Chaikman. He is evidently a very fine man. The committee 
was very much pleased with him as a witness; but his testimony cor¬ 
responded with that of Surgeon Stone as to the reporting of the cases 
of injury, unless they were serious. A serious injury, like that result¬ 
ing from the Branch-Meriwether affair would, of course, be reported. 
A broken jaw or a broken arm would be reported; but lesser injuries 
would not be reported. 

Admiral Sands. I think, Mr. Chairman, one reason for that may be 
explained. That is, in case there is anything suspicious in the reports 
that come to the superintendent, I have been accustomed to ask an 
explanation at once over the telephone. But it has not resulted in 
the discovery of any misdemeanor so far. 

The Chairman. Suppose there should come up to the admiral’s 
office from the surgeon a report as follows: ^‘George Hayes Laird, 
contusio, occurred at sport.” That is the mark that is entered 
against him. There would be nothing about that to attract attention ? 

Admiral Sands. Nothing whatever. No there would be nothing 
inquired about that, because there is nothing suspicious in it. 

The Chairman. In answer to questions before the whole commit¬ 
tee, at Washington, you stated in answer to a question—I do not find 
the exact language—but that with the injurious which take place 
here on the football field, in the gymnasium, on the ball field, and all 
the other athletic sports, the chances that such an injury would be 
received ina fight, as against all the other chances would be small; 
which is undoubtedly true. But we find that a surgeon is in charge 
at the gymnasium all the while, and that he is with the football team 
and with the baseball team. 

Admiral Sands. That is, he is with those teams when they are in 
actual games, but he is not with them necessarily in practice. 

The Chairman. Perhaps not, but he is at the gymnasium all the 
time? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 397 

Admiral Sands. And he keeps run of them, because he is respon¬ 
sible for the individuals. 

The Chairman. We merely called you in, Admiral, to call to your 
attention this evidence that has come out, which has indicated to our 
mind about the only place left where there might be a gap in which 
evidence, say, of a class fight, might escape. We assume that class 
fighting is a powerful weapon that is used to compel the hazing 
system. 

Admiral Sands. Was used. 

The Chairman. Or was used. 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It is used where it prevails? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. E^ndences of fighting, therefore, are something that 
should receive attention from the disciplinary ofiicers. It may be 
that sometimes it does not require much attention; it may be that 
sometimes at least one of the parties should not be punished at all. 

Admiral Sands. But the fact, as you state, should be reported, and 
every means should be employed to get at those facts. Such things 
should be reported by the surgeons if the cases come before them. 
There is no question of their duty. Their duty is plainly laid down 
with that of all other officers attached to the institution, that all 
violations of regulations which come to their knowledge must be 
reported to the superintendent. 

Mr. Gregg. Did not Surgeon Stone testify that he did not know of 
that regulation? 

The Chairman. The only thing I found referring generally to them 
was rule 12 in the interior regulations, requiring every officer attached 
to the academy, civil and naval, to report any knowledge that may 
come to him of the violation of rules. 

Mr. Gregg. He said that he did not know that. 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir; every officer is supposed to know that, 
and there is no excuse for not knowing it. 

Mr. Gregg. Did he not say he did not know that? 

Admiral Sands. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. 

The Chairman. He followed the practice, he said, that was fol¬ 
lowed out at other stations. 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We thought it worth while to suggest that the med¬ 
ical officers bring to this institution the methods which they have fol¬ 
lowed at other stations, forgetting that here a new element comes in of 
the utmost importance, namely, evidences of violations of the regula¬ 
tions of the academy by the midshipmen. 

Admiral Sands. Yes; the regulations govern every officer and 
instructor attached to this institution, and they must know these 
regulations and they must carry them out. If they do not there is 
dereliction of duty on their part. There is no question of that. 

The Chairman. I suppose, of course, that only an order is required 
to remedy it ? 

Admiral Sands. That is already there, sir, in that section. That 
covers every officer attached to the institution, and he is required to 
follow the regulations. 

The Chairman. Section 12? 

Admiral Sands. I do not recollect the number. 


398 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chaieman. I believe you told me that you have adopted the 
language now used at West Point as a result of their experience over 
there, ^^any evidence tending to show that violations had been com¬ 
mitted/’ They might distinguish between “knowledge”- 

Admiral Sands. They do. 

The Chaieman. And something to show that there may be a viola¬ 
tion? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. I readily see that. There are a good 
many things that I have learned since the Branch-Meriwether fight 
winch have convinced me that there must be a specific instruction to 
everyone under my command, and that is the object of my revision 
of the regulations—the interior regulations. 

The Chaieman. Yes, sir. 

Admiral Sands. That is only waiting now for final revision, which 
can only be made after Congress has acted upon your report. I can 
not enter in that anything that is going to be upset by Congress, you 
know.. 

The Chaieman. No. 

Admiral Sands. I want to get the regulations up to date. I sup¬ 
pose it will be a mere matter of thirty days before I can send them to 
the printer. Everything I hope will be finished by that time. 

The Chaieman. It occurred to me that possibly some of the officers 
construed that rule to mean that they were simply to report when 
they actually saw the breach 'of discipline. They very often see things 
which, if they were to report them, and they were traced dovm, would 
lead possibly to the discovery of a breach of discipline. 

Admiral Sands. Yes; but the trend of my regulations is that all 
officers shall do their duty to maintain the discipline. I have given a 
positive order for the cadet officers to forestall any breach of disci¬ 
pline, head it off, so that there will be no reports and there will be no 
offenses. Of course I would not expect those people to do a duty 
which I would not require of officers under my command, because 
they are being educated to be officers, and therefore they are being 
educated to the standards that officers should have. If the officers 
do not have that standard I do not see why midshipmen should be 
required to aim above it. The officers should do their duty as an 
example to the midshipmen and to these cadet officers. There have 
been customs which, of course, I have not been in sympathy with, and 
a number of these officers have grown up under those customs. They 
are gradually leaving, and I suppose before the beginning of a new 
academic year there will be an entirely new lot of officers here, and 
they ought to be, I think, in accord with my views, although some of 
them may have been here before and may be coming back for another 
term. Still I have hopes that all who report for duty after my arrival 
here will be of my mind in the matter. There are some whose detail 
I can not control. That is done outside of me. But all of the line 
officers—that is to say, those who come directly from the Bureau of 
Navigation—come with my permission. I am consulted first. The 
^ surgeons I have no control over. I brought Doctor Byrnes here; 
the surgeon who is in charge of the athletics I brought here, and the 
one who is coming as soon as I can get him, from the South, is also one 
of my men. The one who has just left I had nothing to do with, and 
two others who are here were detailed without regard to my wishes, so 
I can not depend upon their knowing my mind. The people who come 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


399 


here from my former command know what I am going to do before I 
give any expression of my intention. They know my ways, and they, 
being loyal, fall into that and do not have to ask any questions. They 
do what they know I want them to do. Those are the people I expect 
to have coming here—either those who have been under my command 
or those who know what I want, from what has gone on before. They 
will not need any prompting in regard to their duty at all. The plain 
law will be sufficient for them, and my known wishes. 

The Chairman. Admiral, we understand that what you are now 
relying upon to prevent further practices known as hazing are, first, 
your change in your disciplinary force so that each lieutenant-com¬ 
mander has charge of a portion of the whole brigade; that he has his 
office in Bancroft Hall, and his duty is to keep m close touch all the 
time with the midshipmen and to become as familiar as possible with 
the members in his division? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And beyond that you consider the maintenance of 
the board of investigation as a permanent board, to be called together 
at will, as a further powerful weapon to find out infractions that have 
taken place? 

Admiral Sands. Yes. 

The Chairman. I understand that is to be kept up? 

Admiral Sands. That is a very important thing; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Can you sayTo us whether you have anything else 
in your new regulations, aimed especially at hazing, or do you consider 
anything necessary beyond that—and whether you have included 
anything ? 

Admiral Sands. I do not know what could be done beyond what 
has been ordered, that the officer in charge of divisions should be in 
constant touch with their men; that the cadet officers and petty offi¬ 
cers should be held accountable for all disorders; and that the cadet 
officers are empowered to visit the rooms of those under their com¬ 
mand at any time they may think it advisable for disciplinary pur¬ 
poses ; and that they are on duty day and night as far as the mainte¬ 
nance of order in their commands is concerned. There are explicit 
definitions of hazing in the new regulations, but there is no punish¬ 
ment assigned, it being put under t^he head of special, to be decided 
by the superintendent. That is the only term that can be used for 
those punishments, which are ordinarily too severe to assign demerits 
to, or dismissal, but which should be graded in accordance with the 
malice or mischief involved. 

The Chairman. Yes. Admiral, how long can you stay here, if you 
serve the full limit that is permitted ? 

Admiral Sands. There is nothing to prevent the Secretary of the 
Navy keeping me here as long as he desires, or a short time. I go 
on the retired list a year from July next. I have one year from the 
middle of July. 

The Chairman. The law is obligatory about going on the retired 
list? 

Admiral Sands. About going on the retired list, but not going off 
duty. 

The Chairman. Admiral, our examination of these boys, in their 
first year here, the fourth class, impresses us with the notion that 
when they first arrive at the academy they bring with them the opin- 


400 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


ions which prevail throughout the country, namely, that being stood 
on the head, sent under the table, and performing menial services 
are not much of a thing for an American boy to do. After being 
here for a few months it seems that a large proportion of them adopt 
the theories—what they call the traditions—and it is no longer repug¬ 
nant to them to be sent under the table. They do not consider it 
humiliating; others have done it before; it is the practice. We had 
in mind the value of placing before these boys when they first arrived, 
through your disciplinary officers, the facts bearing upon this matter, 
namely, their rights here; placing before them the fact that they are 
not obliged to submit; that it is contrary to the rules and regulations, 
as well as the law of the country. In brief, that the disciplinary officers 
might by commencing upon that subject early with the class, when 
it arrives, increase in their minds the amount of combativeness and 
repugnance to these practices. We understand the disciplinary offi¬ 
cers have now taken up the plan of talking with the various classes 
as their needs seem to develop ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It occurred to us, and doubtless they already have 
it in mind, that there would be an excellent place for the disciplinary 
officers to sow some good seed. 

Admiral Sands. In the proceedings before the board of investiga¬ 
tion you doubtless have seen that these young men were ordered 
positively not to submit to hazing or running of any kind. They 
received a positive order. So that they had the injunction of the 
upper classes on one side and the positive order from the disciplinary 
officers, as a board of investigation, to choose from—whether they 
would obey one or obey the other. If they obeyed the senior class 
men they were liable to be punished very severely for disobeying the 
officers who were authorized to give them orders in that respect. So 
that they took the means at their disposal of placing the men in the 
position of positive disobedience of orders if they submitted any 
longer to hazing or running. It seems to me that that is the strongest 
means that can be employed to impress upon a young man that he is 
violating the law and regulations if he submits. 

The Chairman. That is done when they first come? 

Admiral Sands. They come in batches of from one to five or six 
at a time, and it takes some time before the class is formed. They 
come in as we are ready to have them examined physically, and 
they take so many a day. They are notified to appear at a certain 
time, and when they have passed that examination they come before 
the superintendent to be swore in. The superintendent administers 
the oath to them, and it has been my custom to speak to them for 
ten or fifteen minutes, calling their attention to the oath they are 
taking. 

The Chairman. In making the new regulations. Admiral, did you 
keep in mind particularly the act of 1903 as to rules aimed espe¬ 
cially at hazing, which I assume should be brought closely to the 
attention of the students in some manner, either by putting them in 
the room, or in some other way that you could devise? 

Admiral Sands. Both the laws were quoted, but I held them up 
because they may no longer exist; and attention was particularly 
drawn in a detailed manner to everything that constituted hazing. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


401 


The Chairman. I have nothing else. The other gentlemen may 

Mr. Padgett. I would like to ask for a little explanation, Admiral. 
I notice in the copy of a report sheet, or rather memorandum, fur¬ 
nished us by the surgeon, some entries that I wanted to ask about— 
without calling the names. I see one entry which says: ‘‘Occurred 
at sport; origin, not duty.’’ There are a number of that kind. Then 
I see further down “Football game; origin, duty.” What is the 
distinction between what is characterized here as sport and a foot¬ 
ball game? 

ATmiral Sands. The surgeon’s interpretation, apparently, is that 
one is a recognized academy affair and the other is a matter of daily 
life; but we do not have the interpretation of what is duty and what 
is not duty. That belongs to the surgeons. It belongs to their con¬ 
sciences. But there are a number, and I am one of them, who con¬ 
sider that every accident that occurs to a person who is in the service, 
when it is in the pursuit of legitimate duty—that is, as a part of his 
daily life—is on duty. • If I send jmung men out on the athletic field, 
or allow them to go on the athletic field, and a man playing baseball is 
struck with a bat, it seems to me that is part of his development and 
part of his life in the development of his muscles. We are encourag¬ 
ing him in it, and it should be duty. But the surgeons do not neces¬ 
sarily do that. They say it is a matter of volition with him, and not 
a matter of duty. I hold that everything that is done by the mid¬ 
shipmen here is done under constraint, under orders, and that every 
injury they receive that is not absolutely against the law and not an 
infraction of the rules is on duty. But that is something we do not 
control. The surgeons control that. 

Mr Padgett. I notice further down here “right clavicle broken in 
gymnasium; not duty.” 

Admiral Sands. I disagree with him in that. 

Mr. Padgett. I could not understand how it was that above here 
he has a football game put down as being in the line of duty and an 
accident occurring in the gymnasium as not in the line of duty. 

Admiral Sands. The explanation is as I told you. If there is an 
instructor present, and it is a part of the regular routine of the acad¬ 
emy, the surgeon evidently considers it a maUer of duty. If a student 
is there in his time of recreation, and going through these exercises, 
and he meets with an accident, it is considered something of his own 
volition and therefore not on duty, because he has not been specifi¬ 
cally ordered to perform that thing. I hold personally, every acci¬ 
dent that occurs here that is not against the law and is not done 
against the regulations is on duty, and that the midshipmen should 
have the benefit of it, as all officers should have in the Govern¬ 
ment service; where these things are subject to pension, although 
midshipmen have no pensionable status. Therefore, when he is 
compelled to do these things, or encouraged to do them, wl^ he 
should not be considered to be on duty when he is doing them I can 
not understand. 

Mr. Padgett. Neither can I, and that is why I am trying to get 
this information. 

Admiral Sands. The surgeons have the interpretation of these 
things, because on their reports may lie a claim for pension. And I 
H. Doc. 690, 59-1-26 




HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


presume, it being a professional decision, that a layman has no 
expression of opinion officially on that subject. 

Mr. Padgett. We gathered in substance from the statement of 
the surgeon-general that if a midshipman is—^— 

Admiral Sands. Do you mean the surgeon-general or the senior 
medical officer? 

Mr. Padgett. Well, put it senior medical officer—I did not use his 
correct title—that when a midshipman is brought to the sick quarters, 
if it is after the daily report has been sent in, he makes out a sick 
slip, as he calls it, and sends it to the commandant of cadets, stating 
simply that the boy is there and that he should be excused for the 
day, without giving to the commandant a statement of what the 
trouble is or its origin, and that in his report to the superintendent, 
which he makes daily, he does not give the origin or cause of the 
injury? 

Admiral Sands. No. • 

Mr. Padgett. Would it not be well that he should be directed to 
indicate in his report the origin of the trouble, so that it might be 
investigated ? 

Admiral Sands. In case of an accident, you mean; in case of 
injury? 

Mr. Padgett. In case of injury. 

Admiral Sands. Not of illness? 

Mr. Padgett. I mean where there is an injury to a man indicating 
that the cause was a fight ? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes. 

Mr. Padgett. He states that he does not in his report indicate 
those things either to the commandant of cadets or to the superin¬ 
tendent, and the boys have testified—the midshipmen, I will use 
that instead of ‘Hhe boys’^—the midshipmen have testified that 
they felt perfectly safe in going to the sick quarters, feeling that no 
unnecessary questions would be asked and that no developments 
would come from their going to the hospital? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, I think this inquiry has developed the fact 
that the form of report should be changed somewhat—that they 
should give every case where there is suspicion, that there should be 
a clearing of that ground by either the statement that it was probably 
not caused by illegal methods, or that it was a question of accident. 

Mr. Padgett. It occurred to me that there should be something 
indicated to the commanding officers. 

Admiral Sands. Yes. Our forms are regulation forms, and any 
alteration of them in that way must be made special, and can be 
made special by the superintendent, but it is certainly an advantage 
that the superintendent should know whether the regulations are 
being broken or not, and he can only find that out in these cases by 
having the origin of an injury stated. 

Mr. Loud. It developed from the testimony of Surgeon Byrnes 
that when a midshipman came into the hospital, if on being asked 
what the origin of the injury was, he said he did not wish to state, it 
was then entered as not in the line of duty, without further comment, 
but that that report was so made that it never reached the disci¬ 
plinary officers so that their attention would be called to the fact. 

Admiral Sands. No; it never would come to them, anyhow, 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


403 


unless the superintendent were satisfied that somethino: was beinsf 
hidden. ^ ^ 

Mr. Loud. The entry of “notin line of duty’’ would not neces¬ 
sarily indicate anything out of the way, but declining to answer 
would certainly indicate something out of the way and be worthy of 
the investigation of the disciplinary officer, if it came to his attention? 

Admiral Sands. Certainly. 

Mr. Loud. But never coming to his attention, the door was wide 
open ? 

Admiral Sands. We have not only a discipline officer, but an 
assembly of them, and when we can not find out these things by 
simple questioning, we bring together a board of investigation and 
put the witnesses under oath. 

Mr. Loud. So that the door which was opened before would be 
closed ? 

Admiral Sands. Yes, sir. 

Mr.CjREGG. One of the young men in testifying before us attempted 
to justify the maintenance of a system of rates here upon the ground 
that they obtained on shipboard. Is that right? 

Admiral Sands. I do not know of any maintenance of rates on 
shipboard, except what I have told myself; that there are always dif¬ 
ferences of rank, and that officers are respected in accordance with 
their age and the duties they may perform, although the great mass 
of the officers mess together and live together and call each other 
by their first names. 

Mr. Gregg. As a matter of fact, there is no system of rates, as 
understood here, that obtain on board ship? 

Admiral Sands. None whatever. 

The Chairman. For instance, the midshipman stated as one rate 
the fact that junior officers had a certain part of the deck that they 
might go upon? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes. The commissioned officers use one side 
of the ship and the warranted officers use the other side of the ship. 
That is an old custom, as long as there has been a navy in any country, 
that the flag officer, captain, the officer of the deck, and the executive 
officer were allowed to use the starboard side of the quarter-deck. 

The Chairman. But, of course, it is not a rate, because if you go 
back you would find somewhere that it came from legal authority? 

Admiral Sands. Certainly; it is not a rate at all. There are 
always positive orders; so much so that if a midshipman is officer of 
the deck he has all the rights of a lieutenant-commander, and nobody 
can leave the ship or come aboard without reporting to that mid¬ 
shipman. And if he gives an order the only people who are excused 
from it are the captain and the executive officer, whose representative 
he is. He represents the captain on board the ship when he is officer 
of the deck, and every man who is ordered by him, no matter what 
his rank may be, to do certain things in his capacity as officer of the 
deck, must obey him. It does not make a particle of difference what 
his rank is. The officer of the deck, the lieutenant-commander, 
ranks everybody on the ship except the captain and the executive 
officer. 

Mr. Gregg. As the result of positive orders ? 

Admiral Sands. Oh, yes. 

Mr. Gregg. I wanted to make that distinction. 


404 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Admiral Sands. The Navy Regulations govern that and the customs 
of the service. 

The Chairman. I think that is all, Admiral. I am very much 
obliged to you. 

STATEMENT OF LIEUT. ALLEN BUCHANAN, U. S. NAVY. 

Lieut. Allen Buchanan, U. S. Navy, appeared before the sub¬ 
committee. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, we wish to ask you about one or two 
little instances that have come up in the course of the hearing. You 
were one of the disciplinary officers last yeaf ? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. Last year I was; yes, but not since Sep¬ 
tember. 

The Chairman. There were four of you ? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. No; last year there were ten. This was in 
addition to our other duties last year. 

The Chairman. Ten disciplinary officers. One day in ten you 
were at Bancroft Hall? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. Yes, sir. We went to our drills and reci¬ 
tations and everything else, and one day in ten we had to take that 
in addition to the other duties. We were in two departments in 
addition to that. 

The Chairman. I suppose you were not able to get very familiar 
with the cadets ? That is, to get much knowledge about them, in that 
way? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. None at all. I knew none of the people 
except the people I had in the section room. 

The Chairman. Physical hazing, as you understand it, did not 
prevail last year? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. No; not to my knowledge, of course. 

The Chairman. I suppose there was plenty of what they call run¬ 
ning, and what should be termed fagging. They do not term it that, 
but the performance of menial services ? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. I knew of none of it myself, either running 
or fagging. Of course, everyone knows that they had these rates. I 
remember the superintendent stating to the Board of Visitors here 
last year, for instance, that the fourth class were turning corners 
squarely, and little things of that kind. As far as running and hazing 
are concerned, we understood that they were absolutely dead. I had 
no knowledge of it. 

The Chairman. Has any knowledge come to you since to indicate 
that while physical hazing was done away with, running existed to a 
considerable extent? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. Nothing, except what I read about in the 
papers. That came up before the court-martial and the board of 
investigation. 

The Chairman. I think the boys carried out their agreement about 
physical exercises. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. They probably made their own definition 
of what hazing was, and carried that out. 

The Chairman. But they distinguished sharply, and the things 
that were not physical, I think, prevailed to a considerable extent. 
There were some particular questions which we desired to ask you. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


405 


Lieutenant. Have you a reference to that Mr. Dawson? It was 
something that came up in the evidence of some of the midshipmen. 

Mr. Dawson. I have a note of it here. 

The Chairman. Well, you are familiar with those hieroglyphics. 
Suppose you ask the questions of the Lieutenant. 

Mr. Dawson. Have you any recollection of an incident, Lieuten¬ 
ant, during the last academic year, in which during the inspection of 
quarters there were five or six fourth class men who were engaged 
together in the waking up of a single upper class man? Our infor¬ 
mation is that of these five or six, one impersonated a rooster, one a 
guinea hen, and so on, and so on, and they were gomg in a body to 
wake up a single upper class man. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. I have no recollection of such a thing; not 
the slightest. 

The Chairman. The guinea hen feature of it might not have come 
to his knowledge. But I think he said there were five or six of them 
coming out of one room, and you were inquiring about the cause of 
it, and they said they were there to wake up this upper class man, and 
that you suggested to them that perhaps one would be sufficient to 
wake up an upper class man. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. Last year? 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. I have not the slightest recollection of any 
such thing occurring—not the slightest. 

The Chairman. The only significance there could be in it, anyway, 
would be this: We have been questioning the midshipmen closely as 
to whether the disciplinary officers knew of these running practices. 
They having given an agreement to do away with physical hazing, 
they rather maintained that their other practices were known to the 
disciplinary officers and that no attention was given to them and that 
they were not considered of a harmful nature. In asking for specific 
instances this was brought out. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. I have not the slightest recollection of any¬ 
thing of the kind. I, as officer in charge, would certainly have gone 
into it if anything of that kind came to my knowledge. As I say, 
everybody about the academy knew about the rates. Rates did 
exist during my time, but as to running or hazing, I do not think of 
any. 

Mr. Gregg. You might state to the Lieutenant that that was stated 
as a rumor. Nobody stated it positively. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. I think there must have been some mis¬ 
take. I have not the slightest recollection of such a thing occurring. 
I can not conceive of how I could have said any such thing. If any¬ 
thing of that kind came to my knowledge I, as the officer in charge, 
would have stepped in and prevented it right then. 

The Chairman. The witness did not pretend to state it as his own 
knowledge, and did not want to give it the value of being of his own 
knowledge. He said he had heard some rumors, and we asked for the 
rumors. 

Lieutenant Buchanan. It might have been something like this: I 
know, frequently at the staff table, I was talking with the young gen¬ 
tlemen at dinner, and I might have told some story about things that 
happened during my time, and this rumor may have gotten out from 
that, because, of course, things of that kind did happen when I was 


406 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


here. I can not conceive any other way in which it originated. I 
know that I, of course, would not have allowed such a thing. 

The Chairman. What year did you graduate ? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. 1899. As I say, they may have made 
some remarks to me at the staff table, and I may have made some 
remarks about the number that were required in my time, in talking 
unofficially at the staff table. But when it comes to my seeing mid¬ 
shipmen coming out of a room, where they had been waking up other 
midshipmen, I can not understand that. There must be some mis¬ 
take. 

Mr. Gregg. Did hazing exist during your day here ? 

Lieutenant Buchanan. Yes, sir. 

STATEMENT OF LIEUT. KAYMOND STONE, U. S. NAVY. 

Lieut. Raymond Stone, U. S. Navy, appeared before the sub¬ 
committee. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, you are pretty familiar with all this 
chatter over in the back part of this book [indicating] ? 

Lieutenant Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. ‘‘Petty officers, first and second class’’—I think 
you have told us that does not refer to the classes in the school, but 
to the class of officers? 

Lieutenant Stone. Those are military terms. For instance, petty 
officers of the second class, in a military sense, are really, several of 
them, members of the first class which was just graduated. 

Mr. Gregg. How do you class them in the second class? 

Lieutenant Stone. A sergeant is a petty officer of the first class. 

Mr. Gregg. I say petty officers of the second class ? 

Lieutenant Stone. They run now, the cadet officers; then the first 
petty officer is a first sergeant, the second petty officer is a second 
sergeant, and the third and fourth petty officers would take the place, 
in the old organization, of corporals. 

The Chairman. How many cadets were called as witnesses in the 
Board of Investigation? 

Lieutenant Stone. Approximately 109 of the lower class and 
approximately 20 of the three upper classes. 

The Chairman. Twenty each ? 

Lieutenant Stone. No, sir; 20 in all. May I refer to this record? 

The Chairman. Oh, yes. Explain that to us and it will save a 
good deal of looking up. 

Lieutenant Stone (reading): “The board having examined 109 
members of the fourth class of midshipmen taken from all of the sev¬ 
eral companies of the brigade and about 20 midshipmen of the 
upper classes, and having recorded testimony involving about 60 
midshipmen of the first class, 90 of the second class, and 131 of the 
third class,” and so forth. 

The Chairman. How many do you find w^ere implicated, by the 
testimony of the witnesses who were called, in hazing of any degree ? 

^ Lieutenant Stone. That was what I mentioned right there, “tes¬ 
timony involving about 60 midshipmen of the first class, 90 of the 
second class, and 131 of the third class.” 

Mr. Gregg. You use the word involving in the sense of implicating? 

Lieutenant Stone. Yes, sir. To verify these figures roughly, these 
checks can be counted. Each check mark is a witness. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 407 

STATEMENT OF LIEUT. COMMANDEE H. A. WILEY, U. S. NAVY. 

Lieut. Commander H. A. Wiley, U. S. Navy, appeared before the 
subcommittee. 

The Chairman. Commander, you are here in the line of duty, by 
direction of the President and Secretary of the Navy, to make answer 
to such questions as the committee may desire to put to you touch¬ 
ing the discipline and management of the academy, particularly as 
it refers to the practices known as hazing. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You are one of the disciplinary force attached to 
the academy? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

^ The Chairman. There are four officers especially detailed for dis¬ 
ciplinary purposes ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And they keep in close touch with the midship¬ 
men? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The midshipmen brigade is divided among the 
four officers ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Each one of you has a section of them under your 
immediate charge? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You keep your office in Bancroft Hall? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You make the inspection of rooms of the section 
of the brigade under your especial charge ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You endeavor to keep in close touch with the sec¬ 
tion under your charge ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. This is a new order of things here as pertains to 
the discipline? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Last year, and in preceding years, we understand 
that ten officers belonged to the disciplinary force ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I understood there were a great 
many. I was not here and I do not know what it was. 

The Chairman. One of the ten would go on duty for twenty-four 
hours at Bancroft Hall. The others in the meanwhile would be per¬ 
forming the other duties assigned to them. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The four disciplinary officers at present have no 
other duties ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. None whatever, except some¬ 
times special boards. 

The Chairman. Except sometimes special duties? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Under this plan you are enabled to get a pretty 
close acquaintance with the cadets under your charge? You are 
enabled to know those among them who are studious and obedient to 
orders and those that have a tendency to violate regulations ? 


408 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I can not say about the studious 
part, sir. Of course, we are familiar with the conduct of those in our 
division, but we have nothing to do with the recitations. We can, 
by looking at the monthly reports, find out who is satisfactory. 

The Chairman. But at the end of six months a boy who is always 
in his room during study hours you would give credit for being studi¬ 
ous over one whom you detected going to other rooms during study 
hours ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Naturally; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is what I meant, that you are enabled to give 
particular attention to those who develop a tendency to violate the 
regulations ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. So that you can give them special surveillance. 
As a matter of fact, do you become pretty familiar with the character¬ 
istics of each one of these young men especially under your charge? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I tmnk we hope to in the future, 
but things have been very much interfered with here during the 
academic year. For about seven weeks we did not inspect at all, 
except on Sundays. I was a member of the board which investigated 
the subjcet of hazing. The system unquestionably should put us in 
close touch with the midshipmen of our divisions. That is our 
endeavor. 

The Chairman. Where was your last service before you came here? 
Where were you attached ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I was in command of a gunboat 
in the Asiatic Station. 

The Chairman. How long had it been since you had been here at 
the academy before your present attachment ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Since 1888—seventeen years. 

The Chairman. Is that when you came for your final examination? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. That is when I came for my final 
examination. 

The Chairman. What year did you graduate? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. In 1888. I came back two years 
later for my final graduation. 

The Chairman. Was it Lieutenant-Commander Decker that gradu¬ 
ated in 1897? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The practices of hazing existed then in your time? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, a good deal of it, sir. 

The Chairman. Very much as it is at the present time? The 
practices known as hazing and what is properly termed fagging did 
not exist? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Fagging was unknown. Running 
was very common. 

The Chairman. These humiliating exercises and practices, like 
sending a man under the table, was not prevalent in your day? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I never heard of it. 

The Chairman. That is a recent development? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I never heard of it before, sir. 

The Chairman. Commander, the evidence taken before this inves¬ 
tigating board showed that a large portion of these disorders and 
violations took place in the mess hall. How could they take place to 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


409 


the extent they did with a disciplinary officer present, supervising 
them? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Because the cadet officers had no 
sense of duty, I should say, sir. There were 40 tables at that time 
which were used by the midshipmen for messing, arranged on each 
side of a very long hall. The staff table was in the center of the hall. 
I dare say that if we had expected anything of that kind we might 
have detected a case here and there, but should think the disorders 
did not occur near the staff table, so that it was impracticable, under 
the circumstances, to see any of those. I think we were inclined to 
trust our subordinates until they proved that they were not trust¬ 
worthy. That is customary in the military service. 

The Chairman. Then nothing in your experience here would lead 
you to look for men under tables? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I have never heard of it before, 
sir. I had never heard anything about it until it was brought out 
before the board of investigation. It was an entirely new thing. 
When the superintendent asked me unofficially if I thought there was 
any hazing going on here—he had a number or letters I understand— 
I flatly denied it. I said I had seen no indication of it whatever and 
was firmly convinced there was none. 

The Chairman. In your opinion a good many of these practices of 
a minor nature are harmless, are they not? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Well, they are harmless in them¬ 
selves, sir, but it is rather hard to draw the line of distinction between 
what is harmless and what is not. The harmless things lead to greater 
ones, I think. The way I look at this thing, if you wish my opinion, 
is that what you call the harmless things would be very good for some 
young men, but unfortunately they do not usually pick out those 
young men. They are very bad for others. A great many boys 
come here, for instance, to work their way here. They come with a 
full determination to go through the place. They attend to their 
business, and all these customs are new to them; if they are run to any 
extent, it breaks their spirit and they become discouraged and dis¬ 
gusted. It ruins their career. Whereas, if they take a top-lofty 
young man and run him to such an extent that he would bring him¬ 
self down to the same plane as his fellows, his own classmates, I think 
perhaps it would be beneficial to him. Then on the other hand, it is a 
sort of human nature among the young men that if a chap comes here 
with plenty of money and influence, to bootlick. He can get on the 
right side of certain young men of not much character, perhaps, and 
his life is rather easy; whereas another young man who is more 
worthy, and not able to bootlick, or whose personal characteristics 
are not very attractive, perhaps, might get a good deal of it. So it is 
really better,to say that none of it shall exist. 

The Chairman. You think it is inevitable that if these practices are 
permitted at all they lead to excesses? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. They are carried to extremes. 

The Chairman. And become a part of the objectionable system of 


There are certain 


hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I think so. 
things 14hink should be recognized officially. 

The Chairman. Along the line of rates? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I would not call them rates. 


410 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. Privileges? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Privileges. I think fourth class 
men, for instance, should not go to the hops. They do not go to the 
hops, as a rule, except by special request, unless their fathers or 
mothers or some of their close friends are here. I think, as a rule, 
fourth class men are not very presentable. 

The Chairman. But that is not a matter that is fixed by the mid¬ 
shipmen, is it ? That is fixed by the authorities ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. There is no regulation concerning 
it, but they do not contribute to the hop fund, and it is an unwritten 
rule, which I think is a good one. As a rule they are not very present¬ 
able, the fourth class men. When I first came here I was not very 
presentable as a midshipman. It took some time to get a proper 
bearing. I was awkward, and more or less embarrassed. I was not 
altogether fitted for the hops, not that the hops amounted to any¬ 
thing as a social function. But in all those things, as a man who has 
been here, I believe the privileges should be graded according to his 
service in the school. 

The Chairman. We understood from some of the testimony before 
us that fourth class men were not permitted to go to the hops. We 
understood that it was considered better in the first year that they 
should give their attention to their duties. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. It is an understood thing. I do 
not know of any regulations concerning it, but it is an understood 
thing. It is recognized in that way. 

Mr. Loud. It would be in the new regulations? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. It would be in the new regulations. 
It is accepted; but at present they can go by special request. We 
frequently let them do so. 

The Chairman. That is one of the prevailing rates that will be made 
ofiicial ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. That is what I mean, without 
enumerating others. 

The Chairman. One of the midshipmen who appeared before us 
testified about as follows: 

Commander Wiley went into a room where the upper class men were hazing plebes. 
He asked them what they were doing, and they answered that they were hazing the plebes. 
He ordered them to their rooms and took no further action. 

Have you any recollection of any such circumstance ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I do remember the circumstance, 
but that statement is not correct. 

The Chairman. Give us the correct statement. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I remember going into a room. I 
do not know whether I went into several rooms. 

The Chairman. This says ^^a room.” 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. This was at the time either when 
the board had been ordered or the subject had come up. It was 
just about to be investigated. I am under the impression that the 
board had already been ordered, but that we had not had our first 
sitting. I was on duty that day and I saw a fourth class man come 
out of tMs room. I went in and asked these young men what they 
were doing. I think, as I recall, there was a young man named 
Botsford and a young man named Eccleston and two or three others 
in this room. First I asked the fourth class man if he was a friend 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 411 

of the midshipmen that lived in there. I knew he did not live there. 
He said no. I went in and asked what was going on in there. They 
said nothing. I knew there was something going on, so I took all 
their names and presented them to the recorder of the board, and 
asked that this midshipman be called as a witness and be examined 
concerning the conduct of these five midshipmen. I think there 
were five in this room, if I am not mistaken. I asked that he be 
called and examined concerning their conduct toward him, which 
was done. I considered that that was quite proper on my part. 

The Chairman. Yes. The reason given, then, was not that they 
were hazing the plebes, but that they were doing nothing ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I would not say, but the impres¬ 
sion was created in my mind that they said they were not doing 
anything especially. They did not say for an instant that they were 
hazing this young man, but I knew he was not there by authority 
and that they were doing something to him, and, as I say, I think 
the board met the next morning. At any rate, I had official infor¬ 
mation that the board was to meet within a few hours—twenty-four 
or forty-eight hours. 

The Chairman. Instead of nothing being done, you did make a 
note about it and had it investigated by the board? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I made a note of it, and also of 
several other rooms that I entered, and in every instance the course 
was pursued by the board that was considered proper. The names 
of all the midshipmen concerned were in the hands of the recorder 
of the board. 

The Chairman. I think the evidence was given to us by a man 
who stated that it was a rumor and that he did not know it of his 
own knowledge. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. If there was any insinuation that 
I had in any way encouraged or had overlooked any fault in either 
an upper class man or a fourth class man it is absolutely without 
any foundation. I overlooked a good many things, I suppose, for 
that matter, in all midsliipmen, because I consider that frequently 
that is the proper course. 

The Chairman. I suppose it grows out of the fact that the mid¬ 
shipmen ar^ looking around for means of justifying themselves by 
circumstances indicating that the authorities do not frown too much 
on some of these practices, and this is one of the rumors. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. It is either one of two things—a 
man is hazing or he is not hazing. You take your choice. If a man 
is actually hazing you order him brought up for hazing, and there 
is no middle course, you know. As the board was investigating 
this thing I considered it proper not to make any report concerning 
it except to the board, and the board took the proper action. The 
man who was in the room—the fourth class man—was interrogated, 
and he told us all he knew. The mere fact that it did not come to 
their attention that anything had been brought out was perhaps the 
reason they thought I had paid no attention to it. 

The Chairman. I should say you adopted the best method, inas¬ 
much as you had an organization where they could be brought and 
questioned under oath, and that in that way better information 
could be obtained i^han in any other way. 

Mr. Gregg. It seems to me he pursued a very judicious course in 
that case. 


412 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Dawson. When did you come to the academy on your present 
assignment ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I came the 1st of June. I re¬ 
ported then. I was detached on the 6th. I ran a tugboat up and 
down the coast between here and New London, Gardiners Bay, 
during the summer. 

Mr. Dawson. Did you have direct supervision over the fourth 
class men during the summer? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I was on duty only once. That 
was between the 1st and 6th of June. I did not return to duty or 
did not come into the discipline department until, I think, the 25th 
of September. I had nothing to do with the fourth class men, you 
might say, until the 25th of September. I had no tour of duty, but 
just filled in. 

Mr. Dawson. I find in this testimony before the board of inves¬ 
tigation that you, as the senior member of that board, instructed 
Mr. Donaldson, in the nature of an order, that ‘ ^ When this occurs 
at any time in the future [having reference to hazing] you will 
report the matter to the senior member of this board.’’ That was 
an instruction to the fourth class men to report any occurrences of 
hazing by the upper class men, as I understand ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. No; I think that is a misinterpre¬ 
tation, sir. That refers to a particular thing, I think. Mr. Donald¬ 
son was one of the fourth class men regarding whom it was brought 
out that he had had some difficulty. He had been challenged to 
fight or had been asked if he wanted to fight, or something of that 
kind. He had been, as I recall, molested in ranks more or less. 
This was not an order to him to report any upper class men that he 
saw, but simply pertained to his own particular treatment. 

Mr. Dawson. This was not, then, in the nature of a general order 
to fourth class men to report any occurrences of coercion by upper 
class men? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Not at all. I should not consider 
that the proper course. 

Mr. Dawson. Do you know whether or not any instructions were 
given to new cadets when they came in with regard to their rights, 
especially as pertained to hazing? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. No; I do not know in what way 
they were instructed. 

klr. Dawson. You were not on duty at that time. There is one 
thing more. The records before us show that a certain midshipman, 
Mr. Bean, was given 50 demerits. 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. By reason of being absent at supper, and on the 
record it indicates or appears that there was a fight in his room that 
ni ^ ' 



Chairman. It says ^^gross disorder,” if that would mean a 


fight. 


Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. No; I think that refers to the 
occasion of the fight between Midshipman Branch and Midshipman 
Meriwether. 

Mr. Dawson. Was Mr. Bean a participant in that in some way? 
Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. No; he was not a participant, but 
he was on duty as midshipman in charge of the floor on which it 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 413 

occurred. In order to make it more clear, I might say the fight took 
place during the supper hour and lasted into the study hours. The 
midshipman was relieved at that time, so two midshipmen were 
involved for the same offense. 

Mr. Dawson. The failure to report? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I do not remember whether Mr. 
Bean was relieved at half past seven or whether he came on duty at 
half-past 7, but in any case the fight was going on before half-past 
7 and lasted well on toward 8 o’clock. I was on duty at the time 
when the thing took place, and I came onto the floor, and it seems 
that my presence had the effect of having the fight stopped; but 
there were indications that each of these two midshipmen on duty on 
the floor had connived in the matter. 

Mr. Dawson. They knew it was going on? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. It was their duty to make an 
inspection. The one who came on duty was supposed to make an 
inspection at half-past 7, and he could not have railed to know that 
this thing was going on. The one who was relieved at half-past 7 
was supposed to see that nothing of the kind went on. So that 
each one was equally guilty, and Mr. Bean was one of those mid¬ 
shipmen. He was not reported for taking any part in the thing 
at all, but he was reported for deliberate neglect of duty, which, I 
think, according to the schedule, was 50 demerits. 

Mr. Dawson. Has there come to your knowledge evidences of any 
other fights during the present academic year ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. No, sir; I do not think there has 
been any other since the Meriwether fight. 

Mr. Dawson. Were there any before that that you knew of? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. None that I knew of. 

Mr. Padgett. Commander, in the discipline of the school suppose 
that a fourth class man sees a first class man violating the regula¬ 
tions. Is it the duty of the fourth class man to report that violation 
to anybody? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Is he permitted to report it to anybody? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. If he did report it, the report 
would stand. 

Mr. Padgett. What would be done to him if he did report it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I should think unquestionably 
he would fare rather badly at the hands of the first class men. It is 
so unusual and so contrary to military usage that it would, I have 
no doubt, be made very uncomfortable for him. 

Mr. Padgett. So that under the usage it is expected that if an 
under class man sees an upper class man violating any regulations, 
mum is the word? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. I think that does not exactly 
express it, sir. There is a great distinction between cadet midship¬ 
men officers and midshipmen. No midshipinan of any class is sup¬ 
posed to report other midshipmen unless he is a cadet officer, or on 
duty. It is not a part of his function, whether he is a first class 
man or upper class man. 

Mr. Padgett. If he is acting in an official capacity he has to report 
it? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. He has; yes, sir. 


414 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Padgett. Whatever his grade in the classes may be? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. Yes, sir; there is absolutely no 
distinction. 

Mr. Padgett. As I understand, then, if any midshipman in his pri¬ 
vate capacity sees any violation going on, there is no obligation 
upon him to report it ? 

Lieutenant-Commander Wiley. None whatever, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. That is what I wanted to get at. That is all, I 
believe. 

The Chaikman. That is all. Commander. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN JAMES M’CHEDIE IRISH, U. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman James McCredie Irish, U.S. Navy, having been first 
duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Irish. James McCredie Irish, sir. 

The Chairman. What class do you belong to? 

Midshipman Irish. I belong to the third class, sir. 

The Chairman. Sometime last spring a portion of your class, 
including yourself, I understand, were taking dancing lessons or 
exercises, and the class or a portion of the class was disorderly. 
Admiral Brownson chanced to come in and noticed the disorder, 
and directed some of the upper class men present to take the dancing 
squad to the armory and put them through exercises. Do you 
remember this? 

Midshipman Irish. Certainly; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What month was that—last February or March? 

Midshipman Irish. It was along that portion of the year, either 
January or February, I would not be absolutely certain. 

The Chairman. Was the whole dancing class taken to the armory? 

Midshipman Irish. The whole of that dancing class, but only half 
of the third class. 

The Chairman. All who were there? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How long did those exercises continue? 

Midshipman Irish. From a little before 5 o’clock until after 6. 

The Chairman. For how many days? About a week? 

Midshipman Irish. It was a week, lacking a day, not including 
Saturday. 

The Chairman. How many were there in the dancing division that 
were there, or about how many? 

Midshipman Irish. About 120. 

The Chairman. Was that given to you as a punishment, did you 
understand ? 

Midshipman Irish. Why, certainly; punishment for raising a dis¬ 
order in the class. 

The Chairman. That punishment was carried out under the super¬ 
intendence of upper class men? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many upper class men had charge of you? 

Midshipman Irish. One. 

The Chairman. Was he a cadet officer? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


415 


Midshipman Irish. He changed each day. He was the officer of 
the day assigned for twenty-four hours, and he had charge of the 
drill. 

The Chairman. What exercises were you given? 

Midshipman iRipi. The regular setting-up exercises, the sixteenth, 
the crew, the leaning rest, and then for a change he had us double 
time around the room in column. 

The Chairman. Are the exercises that you were given, the crew 
and the leaning rest, etc., used in the regular duty—are they a part 
of the official programme in the exercises here in the academy? 

Midshipman Irish. They go down to the armory in the pleoe year 
and receive regular instructions in those exercises; then later in the 
course the upper class men usually have charge of the lower class men 
to give them these drills. Then when they go aboard ship they have 
the same thing to do to the men. 

The Chairman. Did this upper class man give you any exercises 
other than the exercises laid down in the drill and in the regulations ? 

Midshipman Irish. None. 

The Chairman. These exercises that you call the sixteenth and 
the leaning rest and the crew, when given without authority, are 
called hazing? 

Midshipman Irish. They constitute hazing; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is, they are some of the exercises called haz¬ 
ing. You say these were given as a punishment? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did the boys term it official hazing? 

Midshipman Irish. We called it hazing, but it was really no more 
than we got during our plebe summer for setting-up exercises. 

Mr. Gregg. Is it known here as official hazing? Is that what the 
boys would call it—official hazing? 

' Midshipman Irish. I do not think, sir, we made that distinction. 

Mr. Gregg. You called it hazing? 

. Midshipman Irish. We simply said when we got through we had 
been hazed—that one class, at least, had been hazed. 

Mr. Gregg. Why did you call it hazing? 

Midshipman Irish. Well, because it was not customary for the 
third class to get so much of it, and to get it from a first class man. 

Mr. Gregg. It was not customary for fourth class men ? 

Midshipman Irish. For third class men. 

The Chairman. They were the third class? 

Midshipman Irish. No; w^e were the fourth class. That is correct. 
During our plebe summer, when we were there for just those things, 
we did not call it hazing, of course. 

The Chairman. But you had gotten not of that period, had you? 

Midshipman Irish. We had not had any for several months. 

The Chairman. You had passed through the setting-up exercises, 
had you ? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And had gone into other drills? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And this was put on you? 

Midshipman Irish. On to the regular drill we got every afternoon. 

The Chairman. You got that every afternoon? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, ^ir; for the rest of the week. 


416 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. And this you considered punishment for the dis¬ 
order ^ 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. , ' 

Mr. Loud. I want to ask what is the greatest number of the six¬ 
teenth that you received in one day. 

Midshipman Irish. I would not be absolutely certain, but I am 
sure it was at least 150, and we got that at one stretch—either 120 or 
150. 

Mr. Loud. Were all of the fourth class men able to continue to 
that limit? 

Midshipman Irish. We all did. 

Mr. Loud. That means that you could, then? 

Midshipman Irish. And the next day we were all lame as the result. 

Mr. Loud. And the leaning rest, were all of them able to do it the 
required number of times ? 

Midshipman Irish. We went through it. 

Mr. Loud. You can only do it the number of times your physical 
powers permit you? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Were any of the fourth class men reported for not con¬ 
tinuing the exercises as long as the officer desired ? 

Midshipman Irish. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. You are sure of that? 

Midshipman Irish. I am absolutely certain of that, sir. The first 
class man at that time was such a- 

Mr. Loud. Were some of the boys reported in some way for not car¬ 
rying not the limit the desires of the upper class man ? 

Midshipman Irish. None to my knowledge. 

Mr. Loud. All right. 

Mr. Dawson. Did you hear the order which Admiral Brownson 
gave to the upper class men to give this punishment ? 

Midshipman Irish. No, sir. He called the officer of the day off to 
one side, and when we were through we all started to leave the room, 
and we were told to stay for the extra exercise. The next day there 
was an order read out from the superintendent, simply an order signed 
by his name, that as punishment for this skylarking we were to receive 
this extra instruction every afternoon, to be under the control of the 
officer of the day. 

Mr. Loud. Was any remark made by the upper class officer that he 
would show you plebes, or fourth class men, whether hazing had been 
done away with or not ? 

Midshipman Irish. I think he did rnake that remark, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you hear the remark? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. I would not absolutely say that I 
heard it, but it was heard by some of us, I feel sure, and everyone had 
the opinion that he had said it. 

Mr. Loud. That he would show you that hazing had not been done 
away with here ? 

Midshipman Irish. That was the nature of the remark. 

Mr. Gregg. Where did he say that; before you left the dancing 
hall? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir; after he had told us we were not to 
leave the hall for some time. 

The Chairman. Was that the cadet officer? 



HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


417 


Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. After Admiral Brownson had gone away? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir; after Admiral Brownson had given 
the order to the officer of the day. 

Mr. Dawson. During the first summer here, how long a period a 
day is given to these setting-up exercises ? 

Mididiipman Irish. Every day we had an hour in the evening, from 
8 until 9, and usually before infantry drill we would have an 3 rwhere 
from twenty minutes to half an hour of setting-up exercises with the 
guns. 

Mr. Dawson. Was it customary during that summer to perform 
these setting-up exercises for as long a period as you did in this case as 
punishment ? 

Midshipman Irish. No, sir; we usually got rest. We would exercise 
for five or ten minutes and then we would have a rest for two or 
three minutes and start in again with the exercises. 

Mr. Daavson. Did these upper class men put you through these set¬ 
ting-up exercises with more severity than was done during the summer 
in the regular way ? 

Midshipman Irish. You mean by severity, longer continued ? 

Mr. Dawson. Yes, sir. 

Midshipman Irish. A great deal longer. 

Mr. Dawson. And more active? 

Midshipman Irish. More active and no rest. 

Mr. Gregg. During that time did he give you any rests at aU? 

Midshipman Irish. Not that I remember. I do not think he did— 
not the first day. AVhen the other officers of the day for the rest of 
the week came, one or two of them got kind toward us and gave us 
a rest in between. But that was unusual. 

Mr. Gregg. You have spoken of how many times you did the six¬ 
teenth. What was the greatest number of times you did the leaning 
rest ? 

Midshipman Irish. I am not certain as to that. I do not imagine 
any of us could have done it more than 20 or 25 times. 

Mr. Gregg. Did he undertake to make you do it more than that, or 
do you remember ? 

Midshipman Irish. I do not remember, sir. 

J^Ir. Dawson. Instead of getting a rest during this punishment, you 
got a change ? 

Midshipman Irish. We got a change; yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. From one to the other? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. I would like to ask one question. What is the ordinary 
number of the sixteenth when it is given as an ordinary exercise ? 

Midshipman Irish. The instructors usually give us 10 of each 
exercise, and there are anywhere from 5 to 6 other exercises in the 
drill, so that by changing a man gets anywhere from 50 to^ 60 
movements, but that takes both arms and legs and back, so that is a 
change. 

Mr. Loud. In giving you. ten times of the sixteenth, would there be 
a minute’s interval between the next exercise or would one follow the 
other? 

Midshipman Irish. One would follow the other, and then after we 
had gone through the full exercise we would have a rest. 

H. Doc. 690, 59-1- 27 


418 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Mr. Dawson. But each successive exercise brought into play a dif¬ 
ferent set of muscles ? 

Midshipman Ieish. Yes, indeed. 

Mr. Padgett. Was any officer present in the exercising other than 
the officer of the day, who was a cadet midshipman? 

Midshipman Irish. No, sir; there was not. 

Mr. Padgett. There Was no naval officer present ? 

Midshipman Irish. No, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Did the order that was given to the officer of the 
day state or designate how long these exercises were to continue daily ? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir; it said from after drill until 6 o’clock, 
as I remember. 

Mr. Gregg. When did the drill close ? 

Midshipman Irish. About a little before 5. Then we were marched 
over to the armory; so we usually started about 5 o’clock. 

Mr. Gregg. You started these exercises about 5 o’clock? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. Was there any one present outside of the upper class 
man and the fourth class men who were being exercised ? 

Midshipman Irish. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. There were no spectators? 

Midshipman Irish. At the first exercise that we had down in the 
dancing hall itself there were several upper class men who dropped in 
usually to take dances after we left. They came in, and some of the 
first class remained to help the officer of the day, and the rest of them 
left right away. 

The Chairman. You belong to the present third class? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Were you given one of these exercises at the dancing 
hall that night after the close of the dance, before leaving? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. By the cadet officer? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. And that was before the reading out of the order? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. The next day? 

Midshipman Irish. Yes, sir; that was a personal order from 
Admiral Brownson. 

The subcommitte (at 1 o’clock, p. m.) took a recess until 2.15 
o’clock p. m. 

AFTER RECESS. 

The subcommittee reassembled at 2.15 o’clock p. m., Hon. E. B. 
Vreeland in the chair. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN CARY WALTHALL MAGRUDER, 

U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman Cary Walthall Magruder, U. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name ? 

Midshipman Magruder. Cary Walthall Magruder. 

The Chairman. You are a member of the present third class? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


419 


The Chairman. You were in a dancing class down here last spring 
at the dancing exercises where some disorder occurred, and as a pun- 
ishrnent you were given exercises for a week ? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was that the way you considered it, as punish¬ 
ment? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir; I do not see how it could be 
considered otherwise. The superintendent happened along just 
about that time and he told the officer of the day who was in charge 
to give us extra drill. 

The Chairman. Was it drill? 

Midshipman AIagruder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What were the exercises you had to take? 

Midshipman Magruder. The regular ^e^tirg-up manual, sir. 

The Chairman. The sixteenth? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The crew? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. The leaning rest? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And other exercises? 

Midshipman Magruder. Double time around the hall several times. 

The Chairman. A sort of a (juick step ? ^ 

Midshipman Magruder. Quick step, double time, sir. 

The Chairman. How long each day did you get these exercises? 

Midshipman Magruder. On an average of about an hour, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you have rests frequently or did they keep you 
going pretty steadily? 

Midshipman Magruder. We had very little rest while I was down 
there. 

The Chairman. You say you considered it as punishment? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes sir; I do not see how it could be con¬ 
sidered otherwise. It was done at his direction. 

The Chairman. Did you ever hear it termed official hazing among 
the boys? 

Midshipman Magruder. Some people referred to it as that, sir, in 
the quarters. 

The Chairman. How many times would they give you the six¬ 
teenth ? 

Midshipman Magruder. I did not count them, sir. They were 
given for about an hour without much rest—that is, in the different 
exercises. Some of the follows said about 270 times, sir-^something 
like that. 

The Chairman. About 270? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. Some of the fellows said they 
counted them. I did not count them. 

The Chairman. Without resting, would they give you some other 
exercise ? 

Midshipman Magruder. They would not give us more than about 
100 straight, as I remember. They would give one and then the 
other. 

The Chairman. Rather sharp exercise? 

Midshipman Magruder. Pretty sharp. 

The Chairman. Were all of the boys able to stand that? 


420 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Magruder. The whole second battalion was there, 
about 130 men. We did not go to the hospital or anything, but we 
were pretty tired, I guess, afterwards. But it did not hurt them at 
all. 

The Chairman. Was there any more disorder in the dancing class 
thereafter ? 

Midshipman Magruder. No, sir. 

The Chairman. It had a beneficial effect, did it? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. Mr. Loud, yon are familiar with that matter? 

The Chairman. We went over it in detail with the other witness, 
and unless there is anything new that you want to bring out I do 
not know that there is any necessity for keeping Midshipman Magru¬ 
der longer. 

Mr. Loud. Were any of the boys reported for not doing the exer¬ 
cises as desired? 

Midshipman Magruder. Some were reported for shirking, sir. 

Mr. Loud. At that time? 

Midshipman Magruder. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. They were reported for shirking, because they did not 
carry out the desire of the upper class men? 

Midshipman Magruder. I was reported myself for shirking. 

Mr. Loud. What.did you get for it? 

Midshipman Magruder. Fifteen demerits. 

Mr. Loud. Was it shirking, or inability to go on? 

Midshipman Magruder. It was neither, I think. I did not intend 
to shirk. I was doing the sixteenth, and I lost my balance and 
touched the deck. 

Mr. Loud. That is enough. 

The Chairman. You did not do it in due and regular form? 

Midshipman Magruder. No, sir. 

STATEMENT OF MIDSHIPMAN JOHN CLEMENT CAMPBELL, U. S. 

NAVY. 

Midshipman John Clement Campbell, U. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman Campbell. John Clement Campbell. 

The Chairman. From what State are you? 

Midshipman Campbell. Missouri. 

The Chairman. Are you a member of the third class? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir; I am a member of the fourth 
class now. I have been a member of the third, sir. 

The Chairman. How does that happen? 

Midshipman Campbell. I was recently turned back for deficiency 
in mechanical drawing. 

The Chairman. You have to go over the year again? ) 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It may be the best thing that could happen to you. 
You will know the road thoroughly and will lay a good foundation 
for use in the years to come. You were in the dancing class last 
spring that was given exercises for a week for disorder that occurred ? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 


I 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


421 


The Chairman. Done by order of Admiral Brownson? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Under charge of one of the upper class men? 

Midshipman Campbell. Different upper class men, sir. 

The Chairman. Yes; the officer of the day. 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. How many days did that continue? 

Midshipman Campbell. I believe it continued a week, sir. 

The Chairman. How much time each day? 

Midshipman Campbell. I think it continued from right after drill 
period, that is about 5 o’clock, until supper time. 

The Chairman. About ah hour? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; just about. 

The Chairman. Were the exercises rather mild or severe? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir; I would say they were severe. 

The Chairman. Tell us what you had to do. 

Midshipman Campbell. Well, the first evening, the evening this 
trouble occurred with the dancing instructor, the officer of the day 
had us down in the sail loft of the seamanship building, sir.. We had 
to do all the forms of setting up that they usually give. 

The Chairman. What are they? 

Midshipman Campbell. The sixteenth exercise, sir, the crew— 
and I forget the rest of them. 

The Chairman. The leaning rest? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; all those different forms were 
given, I believe, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you double-quick some around the room? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was much rest given to you during the hour, or 
did you keep it up pretty continuously? 

Midshipman Campbell. We kept it up for nearly an hour, sir, as 
I remember it. 

The Chairman. Did it make you pretty tired before you got 
through ? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Was it beneficial to you in any way? 

Midshipman Campbell. Physically, sir? 

The Chairman. In any way, I said. 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; it probably was, because there 
was no more trouble there after that. 

The Chairman. There was no more disorder at dances? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir. 

The Chairman. Yes; that would seem to be one of the good results. 
Did the officer in charge, the officer of the day, who gave those exer¬ 
cises to you say to you that he would let you know during the exer¬ 
cises that hazing had not disappeared altogether? Did you hear 
anything of that kind? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; I believe I did. 

The Chairman. Did you believe him at the end of the week? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir 

The Chairman. That is all. These other gentlemen will inquire 
of you now. 

Mr. Loud. What was the remark, as well as you can recall it, 
that was made by the upper class man? 



422 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Midshipman Campbell. That was as near as I can recall it^ sir, 
that he would let us know how they lived in the good old days, and 
show us that hazing had not stopped here yet. That is about the 
substance of his remarks, sir. 

Mr. Loud. I would like to ask if you received any demerits or were 
reported. 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. At that time, for not carrying out to the satisfaction 
of the upper class man the exercises ? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; I know several men who were 
put on the report for shirking when they were exhausted. 

Mr. Loud. You did not receive any? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. You pulled through? 

Midshipman Campbell. I did not receive any myself, but I know 
of instances where midshipmen did receive them. 

Mr. Gregg. They claimed to be exhausted, or that they could not 
go on any longer? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; I think they were exhausted. 

Mr. Gregg. And could not go any longer? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Loud. It was not intentional where they failed to comply with 
his wishes? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir; the exercises were so severe. 

Mr. Padgett. Were they made to do anything in those exercises 
that is not prescribed in the regular tactics ? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir; I do not believe there were any 
exercises given that are not in the exercise book. We have all had 
those exercises at the armory, but not to such an extent as we 
received them that day. 

Mr. Padgett. But you did not have them for so long a time and 
such a severe way? 

Midshipman Campbell. No, sir. 

Mr. Loud. What is the largest number of the sixteenth you did at 
any one time; do you remember? 

Midshipman Campbell. Well, I guess 250, sir, as I remember it. 

Mr. Loud. Was that continuously or with breaks? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir; continuously. 

Mr. Dawson. At this drill? 

Midshipman Campbell. Yes, sir. 

STATEMENT OF JOHN FEANKLIN M’CLAIN, U. S. NAVY. 

Midshipman John Franklin McClain, U. S. Navy, having been 
first duly sworn, testified as follows: 

The Chairman. What is your full name? 

Midshipman McClain. John Franklin McClain. 

The Chairman. What State are you from? 

Midshipman McClain. South Dakota, sir. 

The Chairman. By whom were you appointed? 

Midshipman McClain. By Senator Gamble. 

The Chairman. Are you a member of the third class? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And are going to be a member all the year, I hope? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


423 


Midshipman McClain. I think so; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You have not been dropped back as the result of 
the examinations? 

Midshipman McClain. No, sir. 

The Chairman. About a year ago, last spring, in February or 
March, you were in the dancing class, where some disorder occurred, 
and Admiral Brownson happened in? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. And by his order, under direction of the midship¬ 
man officer of the day, you were given physical exercises for a time ? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. For a week thereafter? * 

Midshipman McClain. After drill for a week; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. About an hour a day? 

Midshipman McClain. About an hour; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you consider that as a punishment for the dis¬ 
order in class ? 

Midshipman McClain. That is what I took it as. I took it as the 
only thing that would stop the disorder. 

The Chairman. Did you hear the cadet officer make any remarks 
as to certain information which he conveyed to the class during the 
week ? 

Midshipman McClain. In what way do you mean? 

The Chairman. Did he make any remark to the effect that he would 
show you boys in his charge that hazing had not disappeared here 
entirely ? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did you hear it, or understand it from others? 

Midsliipman McClain. I heard it. 

The Chairman. What was it, as near as you can remember, the 
exact language? 

Midshipman McClain. I think it was, ^ T will show you people that 
hazing has not been knocked off. 

The Chairman. Yes. Did he show you ? 

Midsliipman McClain. I tliink he did; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What were some of the exercises you had to do dur¬ 
ing the week ? 

Midshipman McClain. That afternoon in the seamanship building 
we had the sixteenth exercise, the crew, the stationary run- 

The Chairman. What is that ? 

Midshipman McClain. Standing, and just moving the feet as though 
running. 

The Chairman. Marching time ? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. Then he would get us up and run 
us around the building in single file. 

The Chairman. Double quick? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. That is about all I can remember. 

The Chairman. Did you have the leaning rest some ? 

Midshipman McClain. The leaning rest; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. You mentioned the sixteenth? 

Midshipman McClain. The sixteenth and the crew; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were you kept at it pretty continuously during the 
hour? 

Midshipman McClain. I do not remember him giving us rest at all. 


424 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. You went from one to another. Were you pretty 
well tired out? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Were there any of the cadets who were too tired to 
perform any of the exercises or perform them properly ? 

Midshipman McClain. I did not see anyone stop. They all kept 
going until the end. 

The Chairman. Did not some of them receive demerits for failure 
to perform it according to the ideas of the officer? 

Midshipman McClain. He might have reported some of them for 
shirking. I have forgotten whether he reported them or not. 

The Chairman. Some were reported and received demerits, as a 
matter of fact. By shirking, do you mean that they held back and 
did not do it properly, or did they not do them at all ? 

Midshipman McClain. Did not do them properly, or when they 
were doing the sixteenth they fell over on their hands and held them¬ 
selves up—overbalanced, or something like that. 

The Chairman. That is all. 

Mr. Gregg. You limited to that time and I noticed that the other 
gentleman did, too. What did you do the rest of the evenings—the 
same thing? 

Midshipman McClain. The other drills were in the armory. After 
we would have our regular drill we would be formed and marched to 
the armory, and we had the setting-up drill there. The drill never 
was so bad after the first day, because they were always down there in 
the armory. But the drill was quite hard all week long. Wednesday 
afternoon we had the drill from 3 until 6. 

Mr. Loud. What is the greatest number of the sixteenth you had 
to do at any one time? 

Midshipman McClain. I did not count them myself, but I heard 
reports among the fellows that it was 125 or 130. It ran all the way 
from that to 275. I don’t know. 

Mr. Gregg. Was it very severe exercise you were given the first 
evening?. 

Midshipman McClain. Why, a man ought to be able to stand it, I 
should think. I do not think it would do him any harm. 

Mr. Gregg. Was it severe exercise ? 

Midshipman McClain. It was very hard work. 

Mr. Loud. Did you feel the effects of it next day? 

Midshipman McClain. I felt a little stiff; yes, sir. 

Mr. Dawson. On the three-hour afternoon you had were you 
engaged in any of the setting-up exercises that day? 

Midshipman McClain. We had the infantry drill, and also setting¬ 
up exercises, under arms. 

Mr. Dawson. You were kept at it three hours continuously on 
Wednesday? 

Midshipman McClain. I think the last two or three days they let 
us rest every once in a while for two or three minutes. 

Mr. Padgett. Did you have the same officer each afternoon or did 
you have the officer of the day? 

Midshipman McClain. We had the officer of the day who was in 
charge, assisted by some of the midshipmen in charge of the different 
floors. 

Mr. Padgett. They were cadet officers ? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


425 


Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Padgett. Were there any regular naval officers present? 

Midshipman McClain. There were sometimes officers who w^ent 
around the gallery, but there were never any on the floor. 

Mr. Padgett. They would be in the gallery as spectators, looking 
on to see what was going on ? 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir; that is, they were probably men 
who were attached to the ordnance department, or wno were there 
in the Army with their classes, or had been there. 

Mr. Loud. Were some of these oflicers who had you in charge much 
more severe than others? 

Midshipman McClain. Some of the officers of the day at the drill? 

Mr. Loud. Yes. 

Midshipman McClain. Yes, sir; the first one was the worst, 
though. 


STATEMENT OF PROF. P. R. ALGER, U. S. NAVY. 

Prof. P. R. Alger, U. S. Navy, appeared before the subcommittee. 

The Chairman. Professor, how long have you been attached to the 
academy? 

Professor Alger. Six years, sir. 

The Chairman. We have called you in without having anything * 
special in view, except that we understood you had been here some 
time, and would be likely, therefore, be pretty familiar with the con¬ 
ditions now and during your term here. We thought it quite likely 
that you might have some ideas to give us that would be of value to 
the committee. Can you tell us if you have in mind any explanation 
based upon your observation as to the apparent breakdown in disci¬ 
pline here during the past few months? I mean especially by that 
the failure of the system of discipline whereby cadet officers carry out 
their duties in reporting violations. Is that the culmination of a 
system, or how do you account for it ? 

Professor Alger. I think it has been a gradual growth which has 
accompanied the very large increase in the number of midshipmen at 
the Naval Academ}^, the change in quarters due to the construction of 
the new Naval Academy, and the consequent lack of the complete 
supervision and control by commissioned officers, which has been the 
custom until very recent years. 

The Chairman. Yes, sir. 

Professor Alger. Last year, for example, one-half of the midship¬ 
men were moved into the new quarters, Bancroft Hall, one wing of 
which was completed. The other half lived here in what is known 
as the old (quarters, which have now been pulled down. There was 
one officer in charge. His office was up here. The other building, 
except for occasional visits from the officer in charge, for a few 
minutes at a time, perhaps, was under the control of the first class 
men. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Professor Alger. In addition to this there has been a very great 
increase in the number of midshipmen. 

The Chairman. When did the large increase commence? 

Professor Alger. The first material increase was only about two 
years ago. 


426 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


The Chairman. That is what I had in mind. 

Professor Alger. And last year there was a very great increase; 
but until, at the farthest, three years ago there were only about a 
third as many midshipmen here as there are now. I think the upper 
class men felt, with this great increase of power that was put into 
their hands by circumstances that they had a right, to some extent— 
at least many of them thought it was their duty—to manage things 
in their own way. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Professor Alger. They did not like making reports and having the 
conduct reports read out, with people put down for minor offenses 
and given a few demerits, and they took the law into their own hands. 
They determined that they would punish and discipline and brace, as 
they call it, the fourth class men on their own hook and in their own 
way. The authorities did not know an^Thing about the extent to 
which this was being carried at all. Of course, it is always recog¬ 
nized here that a first class man has, to a certain extent, authority 
over the lower class men. Of course he has as a cadet officer, but 
even those who are not cadet officers, to a certain extent, occupy a 
higher position than the lower class men. 

The Chairman. There is a certain amount of respect due him on 
account of his greater age, experience, and the knowledge he is sup¬ 
posed to have, at least? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. Until very recently I do not think the 
first class or even the second class has indulged in hazing or running. 
I think they are doing it as they have been doing it within the last six 
months is very largely the result of a determinination on their part 
to take into their own hands the discipline of the fourth class. They 
have joined in with the third class men. The result is that we have 
had this condition here, which in my opinion is worse than it ever was 
before, of the three upper classes uniting to crush the fourth class. 
The fourth class has been in a state of abject slavery to the three 
upper classes in my opinion and as far as I have been able to observe 
it. This opinion I have formed as the result of what I have seen as a 
member of the court-martial. I have been a member of the court- 
martial trying hazing cases. 

The Chairman. Have you also observed that a peculiar and 
deplorable result of this system has been that after the fourth class 
men have been here four or five months they become convinced in 
some way that it is a very good system and ought to be continued? 

Professor Alger. That is the atmosphere of the place, sir. You 
can not get a fourth class man to admit that he has been insulted or 
degraded in any way. 

The Chairman. We have discovered that. 

Professor Alger. No matter what he has done. It appears to be 
thought that anything which an upper class man wishes to make a 
fourth class man do must necessarity be an old tradition or custom 
of the Naval Academy. The fourth class men* have no way of find¬ 
ing out what the old customs are. As a member of the court I lis¬ 
tened with astonishment to the statement of the things which fourth 
class men did on the ground that they knew or had heard that these 
were old customs, which they were not. 

The Chairman. Others had done it before them? 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 427 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir; I think fagging is entirely a growth of 
the last two years. 

The Chairman. Two years? 

Professor Alger. I never heard of such a thing until the court- 
martial brought it out, and I have made personal inquiry of mem¬ 
bers of the first class whom I knew well—one in particular whom I 
had great confidence in and knew well—and he told me that it only 
began, to his knowledge, two years ago. 

The Chairman. These other humiliating practices, like sending 
them under the table to eat their dinner—how long do you think 
exercises of that kind have prevailed here, or practices of that kind ? 

Professor Alger. I never heard of such a thing until it was brought 
out in this court. 

The Chairman. This present investigation? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. It is evident then that the system is rapidly 
spreading and improving? 

Professor Alger. It was, sir. I think it has been stopped now. 

The ChxVirman. You think a considerable part, then, of the 
breakdown of discipline is due to the confusion attending rebuild¬ 
ing here, the very large increase in the number of midshipmen, and 
the failure to. make such changes in the discipline as would meet the 
changed conditions? 

Professor Alger. I do; yes, sir. I will say, however, that there 
have been great difficulties in the way of meeting them, on account 
of the scarcity of officers. 

The Chairman. I did not use the word failure in the sense of crit¬ 
icism, but inability on account of circumstances to earlier have made 
a change in the system. 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The ChxVIRman. As I understand it, before the present year, 
about ten officers were on the disciplinary force, no one of them being 
assigned entirely to that force, but having it as a part of their duties 
about every tenth day. 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Of those ten officers one would go to Bancroft 
Hall on duty for twenty-four hours, and then go about his other 
duties ? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. While he was on duty the other man would be 
attending to various other duties? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir; recitations, etc. 

The Chairman. We understand that is now entirely changed, and 
that four officers are assigned for these disciplinary purposes and 
have no other duties to attend to ? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That the brigade is divided into sections, and one 
of these o fficers has charge of a section, thereby being able to come 
into close touch with the cadets and exercise close surveillance over 
them ? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. We understand the board of investigation is to 
be continued; that is, it is not to be dissolved, but is to be kept as 
an instrument to be used at irregular intervals to find out what may 


428 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


escape the attention of the disciplinary officers. Those are changes 
which are believed to be important changes. 

Professor Alger. So I understand; yes, sir. 

The Chairman. With your experience here is it your opinion that 
these new forms of discipline, with your investigating force, are 
sufficient to suppress and keep out these practices that are called 
hazing ? That is, except possibly sporadic cases occasionally ? 

Professor Alger. I think they will be, sir, if hazing is not again 
encouraged by- 

The Chairman. Congressional acton? 

Professor Alger. Congressional action or action on the part of 
some higher authority. 

The Chairman. You say that this breakdown in the discipline 
whereby the cadet officers have failed to report offenses is due in 
some degree to the confusion that existed, whereby without fault 
perhaps of anybody where we can put our finger on it and say who 
is to blame, this system has come into force. It has prevailed, you 
may say, in the whole school to a greater or less extent. Almost 
every student in the upper classes, under the definition now given 
of hazing, could be accused, and perhaps found guilty of hazing; 
though, in some cases, perhaps, in a very slight degree. In view 
of the way in which it has come into existence and of the lack of 
supervision which prevailed during these changes, do you think it 
would be as well to inflict upon the whole body of midshipmen guilty 
of hazing in even the slightest degree the extreme penalty of expul¬ 
sion from the academy? 

Professor Alger. If I were regardful of the individual I should 
say that I would not dismiss anybody for past offenses of hazing, 
but I think, considering only the good of the Naval Academy and 
its future, 1 should dismiss any midshipman against whom there 
was clear proof of having hazed. 

The Chairman. In any degree? 

Professor Alger. Well, if I had the power, as the superintendent 
has under the present law, of preferring charges, I should use some 
little discretion, of course. 

The Chairman. You mean you would use discretion as to the cases 
you brought before the court-martial? 

Professor Alger. I should use some little discretion as to the 
cases I brought, but where there were clear cases, which could be 
proven by good evidence, of an upper class man taking into his hands 
the power of punishing or disciplining a lower class man, I should 
court-martial him and dismiss him. 

The Chairman. Do you not think it would be a better plan if, 
instead of leaving it to the superintendent to fix the exact line under 
which he would not bring them before a court-martial, and over 
which he would—one of which meant no punishment and the other 
of which meant dismissal from the academy—he could bring them 
before a court-martial having power to inflict punishment from 
dismissal from the academy down to ten demerits or fifteen demerits, 
depending upon the seriousness of the offense ? 

Professor Alger. Well, sir, to my mind, the offense of hazing is 
not so much what is done as the assumption of authority to do what 
the person hazing wills. When the upper class man goes to the lower 
class man and by intimidation—and that is the fundamental thing in 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


429 


hazing, intimidation—compels the fourth class man to do his will, 
the mere fact that he is a decent fellow and does not compel the fourth 
class man to do anything degrading, or is not cruel to him, is not 
material. The effect is that he sets himself pp as the judge to say 
what that fourth class man shall do, and he enforces that by the 
immense power of the public sentiment, and, if necessary, by phys¬ 
ical power, of the three upper classes. It is backed, :^rther than that, 
often by a sentiment even in the lower class, that the man who does 
not yield is not fit to be one of them. Now, looking at it from that 

E oint of view, it would not he well, it seems to me, to say that mild 
azing shall only be punished by some trivial punishment; severe 
hazing shall be punished by dismissal. You would find that it 
would be very difficult—indeed, it would be almost impossible—to 
prove by the testimony of midshipmen any case of cruelty. The man 
who had been hazed would deny that he was injured, as a general 
rule. 

The Chairman. What becomes of your board of investigation, 
which is to be continued as a permanent body? You had no diffi¬ 
culty in developing all that in the last board ? 

Professor Alger. I am not familiar with the actual results of that. 
I have never read their record. I do not know how freely the fourth 
class talked before them. Before the court they were extremely 
difficult witnesses. 

The Chairman. I wdll say that the committee has read the testi¬ 
mony, and so far as w e can judge, after they once commenced to 
testify they testified, apparently, with the utmost freedom and 
minuteness. 

Professor Alger. What I meant to say, sir, in reply to your ques¬ 
tion was this: I fear that any enactment of law to the effect that cer¬ 
tain forms of hazing shall not be punished by the severe penalty of 
dismissal will imply and be held by the midshipmen to mean that 
Congress approves of the milder forms of hazing, or, at least, does not 
disapprove of them. The law which makes it mandatory to dismiss 
summarily for any acts of hazing, how^ever trivial, applies now at 
West Point. I have not heard or seen anything to indicate that the 
authorities at West Point or the Secretary of War desire to have it 
modified there. I understand they have put it down by means of 
that law at West Point. 

The Chairman. Pardon me right there. If it was the law that put 
it down, why did not the law apply equally here? 

Professor Alger. It was put down by that law after an investi¬ 
gation by a committee of Congress into the whole thing that brought 
it out in such a way as to make it so obnoxious in every way that I 
think it had a great effect upon the cadets—that in addition to the 
law, perhaps. 

The Chairman. Entirely new machinery was adopted there, and 
the number of cadets having increased, and they having had confu¬ 
sion with new buildings, while they were scattered around, they kept 
that board of investigation constantly in existence, calling them in 
and putting them under oath at irregular intervals, and making them 
swear as to whether there had been infractions. 

Professor Alger. I understand that has been the case. 

The Chairman. That system, as it has developed through the epi- 


430 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


demic of hazing there five years ago, has resulted in keeping it out as 
far as any public knowledge is concerned. 

Professor Alger. Together with the law and regulations. They 
define hazing in their regulations. They have a definition of hazing, 
which is made to coveV, apparently, the most trivial things, and the 
regulations say that a cadet who has been guilty of any of those 
things shall be summarily dismissed. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Professor Alger. They have not, as far as I know, found it neces¬ 
sary to apply it at all. The same law applies here. The mere fact 
that the law of 1874 existed when the law of 1903 was passed has 
made it necessary, in accordance with the decision of the Attorney- 
General, to use the machinery of a court-martial to prove guilt. 
The law of 1903 governs, merely with the addition that you must 
prove guilt by court-martial under the act of 1874. The law of 1903 
IS the same law that applies to West Point. 

The Chairman. Does it not occur to you that the infliction of 
a punishment so severe in its nature as dismissing a midshipman 
from the academy and ruining his career is contrary to the whole 
statute law of the English-speaking race, outside of military schools ? 
I mean by that, if we should make stealing apples off of a street stand 
punishable by imprisonment for life, stealing apples would go prac¬ 
tically without punishment, because nobody could be found who 
would inflict the punishment. That is, there must be in the mind a 
sense of justice between the offense and the penalty required for it. 
Under your definition a boy who brings an apple from the mess room 
to an upper class man is guilty of hazing. 

Professor Alger. No, sir; I beg your pardon. I should never 
hold that. I do not think anybody would dream of holding that. 

The Chairman. How much would he have to bring up before it 
became hazing? 

Professor Alger. To be hazing, it requires intimidation. Every 
one of these fourth class men, on being questioned, admitted that he 
would have feared unpleasant consequences if he had refused. 

The Chairman. You were on the Decatur court-martial? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. There one of the offenses charged under hazing 
was that he required under class men to bring meals to him. 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is hazing? 

Professor Alger. Under the circumstances. If his roommate 
brought him breakfast when he was absent nobody would dream of 
calling it hazing; but these fourth class men admitted under oath, 
when pressed, that they would have feared serious consequences if 
they had not done so. There is what the hazing was. It was com¬ 
pelling him to do these things. 

The Chairman. And the amount of food he brought up was not 
material ? 

Professor Alger. No, sir; it was compelling him to do his will. 

The Chairman. Then, to go back to my question, if an upper class 
man requires an under class man to bring an apple up to him from 
the mess table, that is hazing? 

Professor Alger. If he compels him to do it. 

The Chairman. Or requests him. The under class man under- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


431 


stands that behind that request is the whole system of hazing, ending 
in a class fight ? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. That is hazing—bringing an apple up to an upper 
class man? 

Professor Alger. Under those circumstances. 

The Chairman. Does it not seem rather repugnant to the sense of 
justice that that offense should be punished by dismissal from the 
academy, with the public disgrace which goes with it, and the ruina¬ 
tion of a young man’s career? 

Professor Alger. Not if you wish to put down hazing at the Naval 
Academy, in my opinion. If you want to stop hazing and cut it out, 
root and branch, 1 think the way to do it is to punish by summary 
dismissal anybody who is guilty of it. 

The Chairman. Would not 50 demerits for that—a third of the 
total number the upper class men are entitled to—carry with it a 
sufficient reminder to him that he was doing an improper thing? 

Professor Alger. Of course, I am only giving my personal opinion. 

The Chairman. That is what I am inquiring about, and I am 
taking the other side for the purpose of developing your opinion and 
finding the reason for it. 

Professor Alger. The reason is simply this, that I regard the 
crime of hazing as consisting of an upper class man making a lower 
class man do his will by intimidation. I think if an upper class man 
can compel a low^er class man to bring hirrf an apple by intimidation, 
by the power of the system, that the only limit to the extent to which 
he can go without being found out is the limit which he puts himself. 
Then, in a very large body of midshipmen, there are a certain number 
who have neither discretion nor other desirable qualities. 

The Chairman. That is the danger of the system. If the upper 
class men would confine their hazing to requiring lower class men to 
bring apples up to them, do you think we would ever have had a 
special act of Congress in relation to it ? 

Professor Alger. I think not. 

The ChairMxIN. Then, the word hazing brings up to our minds the 
extreme to which it is carried—not the bringing up of the apple, but 
the system as a w’hole, and the cruelties and humiliations that are 
practiced under it. 

Professor Alger. Those cruelties and humiliations very often 
occur where, on the face of it, if you merely listen to the statement 
of it, which would be made by the two midshipmen concerned, you 
would never see it. 

The Chairman. Yes. 

Professor Alger. There is a moral humiliation and cruelty which 
comes to some, not to all. To a great many boys it is mere fun; but 
there is a certain percentage to whom it is a very cruel business, and I 
think it ought not to be permitted. 

The Chairman. I think you are entirely right. 

Professor Alger. I very much hope, for my own part, that the 
law will remain. 

The Chairman. It is a very serious question, however, whether 
the very seriousness of the penalty imposed in the cases of what 
would be admitted to be slight infractions would not, in a measure, 
at least, defeat the very object of the law. Everyone, to some 


432 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


extent, would feel unwilling, upon seeing some slight infraction, 
although it would come under the definition, knowing that there was 
no meanness or cruelty in it, to make the report that sets in motion 
the wheels which mean the expulsion of that young man from the 
academy. 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Whereas, if it was a matter which was an offense 
for which 25 or 50 demerits, if you please, could be charged up against 
him it would be reported without hesitation, and the penalty inflicted. 

Professor Alger. The difficulty is, sir, under those circumstances, 
that when you endeavor to inflict the penalty of dismissal you wouid 
find it impossible to do it. The influence brought to bear would pre¬ 
vent it. I notice in the debate in the Senate on the passage of this haz¬ 
ing bill a number of Senators, one after another, defended a midshipman 
who had been dismissed by court-martial recently for hazing. Mr. 
Coffin, who was the first person brought before the court, v/ho stood 
Mr. Kimbrough on his head until he very nearly died as a result, and 
who drenched him with water to bring him to when he fainted, was 
described on the floor of the Senate as having done nothing but engage 
in a mere boyish affair of no account; that he was a good boy, and 
all that. Exactly that would occur. You could not find anything 
which could be done by a midshipman which, when properly repre¬ 
sented to the reviewing authorities, could not be shown to have been 
but a mere boyish prank.. 

The Chairman. Are you not dismissing, more or less, in the acad¬ 
emy at the present time for being above the maximum of demerits, 
in connection, perhaps, also with deficiency of studies ? 

Professor Alger. Well, I do not know whether we are dismissing 
them or not. There are a number of midshipmen who are over their 
demerits, and the academic board has recommended the dismissal of 
three of them who are considerably over the number of their demer¬ 
its, but the Department has not acted on it as yet. The Department 
in the past has held that the action of the superintendent or of the 
academic board in such cases was subject entirely to review, and in 
past years repeatedly their action has been overruled. I do not 
know whether it will be in this case or not. 

The Chairman. Do you not think that Congressional interference, 
which is always a serious matter in the discipline of a school like this, 
is more likely to be prevalent if such severe punishment is inflicted for 
what would be considered very small infractions of the rules? As 
an explanation of this, I will cite you the case of the three young men 
who were dismissed here in the winter of 1904, I think. 

Professor Alger. And who were afterwards put back? 

The Chairman. Who were afterwards let into the service. They 
were never put back here. 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir; put back into the service. 

The Chairman. It may throw some light on the situation to tell 
you how I voted then, without knowing anything about the discipline 
here especially. If I remember aright these young men were cadet 
officers. Some fruit or something was taken from the table by other 
class men, and they gave to these other class men who took the fruit 
the choice of being reported or submitting to some exercises at the 
direction of the cadet officers. The young men, of course, said they 
would perform the exercises. They did not amount to anything. 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


433 


There was no severity about them; just an ordinary case. These 
cadet officers were dismissed. I remember at that time feeling, as 
most of the people felt, pretty fierce against the hazing system. 
Application was later made to Congress not to send them back here. 
Even Congress recognized that that would not do for discipline, but 
that they should suffer the punishment of being put down a great 
many numbers and by passing the examination prepared by the Sec¬ 
retary of the Navy they might be appointed into the service. The 
young men came up there—three pretty clear-eyed fine-looking boys. 
I remember going out into the corridor and seeing the three boys 
standing up there in a row, and I asked them what they had been up 
to down here. They told me in very direct, frank language, conceal¬ 
ing nothing, extenuating nothing—just a plain statement of the case. 
I think I lost sight of the effect that it might have on the discipline 
of this academy. It seemed to me that the offense committee, 
while deserving of punishment, did not deserve such severe punish¬ 
ment as the disgraceful dismissal from the academy and the ruin of 
their careers, and I later voted that they should be permitted to enter 
the service without coming back to the academy, thinking that that 
might be perhaps sufficient punishment. I have had very grave 
doubts many times since if it was not a mistake. I am satisfied it 
was a mistake in view of the fact that that was the law, but I never 
have been satisfied that so severe a law as that should stand on the 
statute books for that offense. But, inasmuch as it was the law and 
stood there, I am satisfied I made a mistake in voting, considering 
its effects upon the discipline of the academy, to let them in on any 
terms. 

Professor Alger. That seems to me, sir, what the trouble would 
be in changing the law at the present time. 

The Chairman. If Congress, however, has passed in a fit of passion 
a law which does not stand examination after the passion is over, and 
which ought not to stand permanently on our statute books, and if 
we are convinced of that, then I do not think all these boys under 
these changing conditions of confusion and enlargement which have 
existed ought, perhaps, to be thrown out for that reason. I think 
all of them ought to be punished. 

Professor Alger. The superintendent of the Naval Academy pre¬ 
sented to the committee in Washington, during his visit there some 
weeks ago, a measure which he drew up. 

The Chairman. I remember it. 

Professor Alger. Which provided that in his discretion and with 
the approval of the Secretary of the Navy he might dismiss anybody 
whom, after due investigation, he found to be guilty of hazing or 
countenancing hazing, or any other conduct of such a nature as to 
make his continued presence at the Naval Academy an injury to the 
academy and the service. If such a measure as that were passed it 
would do exactly what you say, but would it not make it more diffi¬ 
cult? 

The Chairman. I understand the measure which has passed the 
Senate— I have not seen it, but my understanding of it is that less 
punishments may be inflicted by the superintendent, of course sub¬ 
ject to review by the Secretary of the Navy, but that if charges are 
made calling for dismissal then a court-martial must be called, or the 
H. Doc. 690, 59-1-28 


434 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


cadet shall have the right to demand a court-martial if he is charged 
with an offense requiring dismissal. 

Professor Alger. Yes; he shall have the right to require it. 

The Chairman. That may be a mistake. You know legislation 
in Congress is usually a series of compromises. 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Is there anything else you have to suggest which 
you think it would be to the advantage of the committee to know ? 

Professor Alger. No, sir; I have nothing to suggest. 

The Chairman. Do any of you other gentlemen desire to question 
Professor Alger? 

Mr. Gregg. I would like to ask this: In your opinion, what, if 
any, effect would the passage of a law grading the offenses have 
upon the discipline of the academy? 

Professor Alger. I think it would be regarded as a measure to 
make the lighter forms of hazing permissible. 

Mr. Gregg. It would be so regarded by the midshipmen? 

Professor Alger. I do not see how it could be regarded as any¬ 
thing else. 

Mr. Gregg. Upon what reason do you base that opinion? 

Professor Alger. Only upon my own mind. 

Mr. Gregg. Nothing from what you have heard from the midship¬ 
men, or anything of that land ? 

Professor Alger. No; I have not talked with the midshipmen 
about it. I have talked with other officers about it, of course. 

Mr. Gregg. In other words, your opinion is that that would be 
the proper construction to put on that kind of legislation? 

Professor Alger. No; I do not for a moment think Coi^ress, if 
they passed it, would mean that. I think it would be a sufficiently 
plausible interpretation to put on it for the boys to justify them¬ 
selves in adopting it. 

Mr. Dawson. But if the milder forms of hazing were punished by 
the demerit system, would not persistence in the practice ultimately 
carry them out on account of their conduct record ? 

Professor Alger. Except under a mandatory law, such as the 

E resent one, you can not dismiss anybody from the Naval Academy 
y the action of the authorities here; and whether you can dismiss 
them at all depends altogether upon how much influence in one way 
or another they can bring to bear. When I was a midshipman here, 
a good many years ago, i knew of cases in my own class—I knew of 
one particular case—where a midshipman told the superintendent of 
the Naval Academy that he might dismiss him, but he would be 
back there next week, and he was. I do not know that it is quite 
as bad now; but the law of 1874 was passed to prevent that. 

Mr. Dawson. But I suppose midshipmen are frequently carried 
out of the academy on account of deficiency in their conduct ? 
Professor Alger. Very, very seldom. 

Mr. Dawson. Is that so? 

Professor Alger. Midshipmen have been dismissed for specific 
acts of misconduct. I thinK ever since the founding of the Naval 
Academy it has been regarded as within the province of the superin¬ 
tendent, with the approval of the Secretary of the Navy, to dismiss 
for bad conduct; but it is questioned now whether that is legal, and 
a case is pending in the Supreme Court of the United States, I believe, 
which will decide whether it is or not. There is only one thing now 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


435 


under the law for hazing. If you are found guilty of hazing by court- 
martial, you rnust be dismissed under the law. The law also says 
that if an individual is found deficient in his studies at examina¬ 
tions that means at the middle or end of the year—he shall not 
stay here, unless the academic board recommends it. That is the 
only way, really, that people go out, except in very rare instances, 
by being found deficient in studies. 

Mr. Loud. Previous to ^Ir. Brownson's leaving here there was a 
pledge given to him by the several upper classes, was there not, that 
they would abstain from hazing? 

Professor Alger. I think the two upper classes—I am not sure 
whether it was or not—no, not the two, that is quite wrong. Cap¬ 
tain Brownsqn took it for granted that the first class men would not 
haze. He did not believe they would, and he paid no attention to 

them. The third class, however, and I think the second, but I am 
sure of the third, pledged themselves not to haze. 

Mr. Loud. There was a tacit understanding, was there not, that 
that referred only to physical hazing? 

Professor Alger. The midshipmen so interpreted it. I do not 
think either the superintendent or the commandant thought of any 
such thing. I am sure they did not. 

Mr. Loud. Then you believe that the naval officers here under¬ 
stood that it referred to all classes of hazing, while the cadets held 
that it was only pertaining to physical hazing? 

Professor Alger. There was this practice, which will explain what 
the condition was. They have had at the Naval Academy for many 
years what are known as “rates.’' A fourth class man does not rate 
anything. A third class man rates to do certain things, and so on. 
When the lower classes agreed with Admiral Brownson that they 
would stop hazing they brought up the question with the comman¬ 
dant and superintendent, “How about rates?” and the superintend¬ 
ent told them that he was willing the first class should establish 
such rates as they saw fit, provided the rates were of such a nature 
that the lower classes made no objection to them, and that there was 
nothing which ought not to be about them, but that if the lower 
class men refused there should be no compulsion of any sort. He 
thought that the rates then meant such tilings as that the fourth 
class men should not go to hops, should not walk in lover’s lane 
over here, and so on, that in turning corners they should turn sharply, 
and such things. I do not think he had any idea that anything 
which was not a physical act should be allowed in the way of run¬ 
ning, and that only physical exercises should be dropped out. 

Mr. Loud. It was not known to him and the disciplinary officers, 

then, at that time, that the rates were enforced by a compulsatory 
class fight? 

Professor Alger. I do not think the midshipmen played fair with 
Captain Brownson and the commandant. That is my honest 
opinion. 

Mr. Loud. That is only leading up to another thought, and that is 
this. When Admiral Brownson left here he withdrew the pledge, as I 
understand it. He absolved them or released them from their pledge ? 

Professor Alger. I do not know whether that is true or not. I 
have heard it stated; but on the other hand if I am not very much 
mistaken Admiral Sands told me that he had informed the midship¬ 
men, or allowed them to be informed, that he did not regard any 


436 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


pledges as binding on them which they had made; that the one pledge 
which he regarded as binding was the oath which they took when 
they entered the academy, and no others. I have thought that the 
two things might be mixed. I am very sure that is true, that Admiral 
Sands took the ground that he did not want these pledges, which the 
midshipmen had made to his predecessor. 

Mr. Loud. That is what I wanted to get at. 

Professor Alger. Whether Captain Brownson also took the view 
that those pledges should be abrogated I would not say. I do not 
know. I have heard that he did. 

The Chairman. That is something that the Professor does not 
know about, and we have evidence on that. It is only a matter of 
hearsay with him, and we have the direct evidence of Admiral Sands 
on that matter. 

Mr. Loud. I was only leading up to this, that that pledge being 
withdrawn, would it not necessarily be expected by the officers here 
that hazing would then need to be looked out for more sharply and 
with more vigor than when the pledge was in force ? 

Professor Alger. Well, I do not know that anything about this 
was known. It is only within the last month or two that I have 
heard these things. 

Mr. Loud. It is upon the principle of a teacher having the pupils of 
his school give him a promise not to snowball, and then saying I with¬ 
draw the promise.” You would know that immediately the snow¬ 
balls were going to fly. 

Professor Alger. Of course the officers at the Naval Academy are 
not in a position to see or know anything about that. I have seen, for 
example, this business of the fourth class men walking along and turn¬ 
ing a straight corner like this [indicating]. I have been told that that 
is one of the rates, and that fourth class men had to do that; but it 
never occurred to me that I must go to the superintendent and say: 
^^This is a form of hazing and you ought to do something about it.” 
I suppose the discipline officers did their best to find out if there was 
any hazing going on. 

The Chairman. Of course, if you see them doing that, the next 
question would be whether they were doing it voluntarily, as I under¬ 
stand they have been recently, or whether it was a part of the system, 
with compulsion behind it. 

Professor Alger. Yes. 

Mr. Padgett. In relation to the ten officers who were here before in 
the discipline department, one being on duty in the hall or in discipline 
every ten days, did he also on that tenth day look after the duties of 
his instruction and teaching, etc., in connection with discipline or did 
he leave that out and devote his attention altogether to the discipline ? 

Professor Alger. I think that has been different at different times. 
The practice was for the officers attached to the department of ord¬ 
nance and seamanship—those two departments—to take turns being 
officer in charge, and at times, when they have been short-handed, I 
think that officer has also had to attend to his instruction and drills. 
At other times when there have been more officers they have not 
had to. 

Mr. Padgett. Immediately before the institution of the present 
method of four discipline officers, when you had the ten, did each of 
those ten, when his day came to be in charge, also attend to his other 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


437 


duties that he did during the nine days when he was not directly in 
charge ? 

Professor Alger. I am not certain. I think, however, that it 
was arranged that the officer on duty as officer in charge should 
not have to go into the section room and teach, but that he proba¬ 
bly did take his drill if it happened to fall on this day. Certain 
officers have certain drills. 

Mr. Gregg. Are they all going on at the same time? 

Professor Alger. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gregg. So there would be nobody in the building at that 
time, anyway ? 

Professor Alger. Nobod}^ in the building, except on the sick list. 

Mr. Padgett. If I understand you, your position with reference 
to the modification of the law or hazing resolves itself into sub¬ 
stantially this: That if there is a graded punishment from dis¬ 
missal down, influences will be brought to bear that will prevent the 
execution of the dismissal, and force always a lower penalty. 

Professor Alger. I think that will be the undoubted result. 

Mr. Padgett. Now I will ask you if in this present year before 
this matter developed, or in the past academic year, you know of any 
instance or have any reasonable grounds to believe that the officers 
of the institution knew of hazing being practiced and failed or 
neglected to report it. 

Professor Alger. I know of no such instance. 

Mr. Padgett. You know of no circumstances that should have 
put them on inquiry to ascertain that ? 

Professor Alger. Nothing, except what I have just stated about 
seeing certain things in the open air. 

Mr. Padgett. I am not speaking about rates, but hazing. Rates 
are entirely separate from hazing. You know of nothing with refer¬ 
ence to hazing? 

Professor Alger. I know of nothing. 

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT OF LIEUT. RAYMOND STONE, U. S. 

NAVY. 

Lieut. Raymond Stone, U. S. Navy, appeared before the sub¬ 
committee. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, the first court-martial that was con¬ 
vened here—and I take it this within your knowledge—adjourned 
on account of their inability to get testimony from the fourth class 
men, or any class men that came before them. Is that right? 

Lieutenant Stone. Not that I know of, sir. Do you mean the 
first board of investigation? 

The Chairman. The first board of investigafon is what I mean. 

Lieutenant Stone. I do not think that is exactly correct. My 
impression is that previous to the authorizations to administer 
oaths, which had to come from the Secretary of the Navy, the first 
board of investigation got very meager testimony, and as I have 
understood from Admiral Sands, and as I think he stated to the 
committee, he adjourned that board and immediatelv reappointed 
the same members with the addition of a recorder who had the power 
from the Secretary of the Navy to administer oaths. 

The Chairman. That is practically the same thing. They were 
able to* get so little results that they adjourned and had to procure 
an order from the Secretary of the Navy to administer oaths. 


438 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Lieutenant Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. What was the date of the convening of the first 
board? 

Lieutenant Stone. December 12, I think, sir. 

The Chairman. And they adjourned for how many days before 
the next one commenced to take testimony ? 

Lieutenant Stone. The next one commenced on December 14, 
Thursday. I think I was notified on the day between and was 
appointed recorder. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant, have you the figures which you can 
give us that will show the dimensions of Bancroft Hall ? 

Lieutenant Stone. As to the interior dimensions? 

The Chairman. Yes, sir. 

Lieutenant Stone. Yes, sir; very closely. 

The Chairman. Can you tell us what the size of the mess room is? 

Lieutenant Stone. Yes, sir. 

The Cha rman. Give us the figures, please. 

Lieutenant Stone. The mess room is a rectangle, approximately 
375 feet long and approximately 7.5 feet wide. I take that from a 
blueprint sketch, which may be somewhat shrunken, and the figures 
are not necessarily exact, but are closely approximate. 

The Chairman. Give us the other figures of the dimensions you 
have there. Give us the dimensions of the corridors. I think those 
are all we want, the corridors and mess room. We do not care about 
the kitchen or any of those things. 

Lieutenant Stone. The midshipmen are quartered on five floors, 
each one of which is practically a counterpart of the other. The 
ground plan is in the form of a double L, with a long corridor 
running down the stem of the L, but broken in the middle where 
the central dome occurs. These two ends of the long corridor are 
each about 256 feet long and about 16 feet wide. In each arm of 
the L, which is almost a square, there is a central, square court open 
to the sky, and around this court are the rooms of the midshipmen, 
some having exposures to the court and some externally. Between 
the sets of rooms are other smaller corridors, which are about a hun¬ 
dred feet each in length. The total number of rooms for the occu¬ 
pancy of cadets is in the neighborhood of 500. Here is a blue¬ 
print which shows it clearly. I want to say, in addition to that, that 
m each wing there are three staircases the iuW height of the building, 
one of which is a spiral staircase. Each room is about 16 feet square, 
though some of them are double rooms with alcoves—differently 
arranged. To walk through the whole building, lightly inspecting 
each room, requires between one hour and one hour and a" half. That 
is. actually required of the officers in charge, to inspect the entire 
building. 

Mr. Gregg. For one man to do it? 

Lieutenant Stone. Yes. That does does not include the inspec¬ 
tion of the basement or any of the accessory storerooms. 

Mr. Dawson. What is the total length of corridors in Bancroft Hall ? 

Lieutenant Stone. On the floors occupied by the midshipmen, I 
should say slightly over a mile and a quarter. That does not include 
the basement passages. That is only on the floors occupied by the 
midshipmen. 

The subcommittee, at 4 o’clock p. m., adjourned. 


Mr. Vreeland, from the subcommittee of the Naval Committee of 
the House of Representatives, makes the following unanimous 

REPORT. 

Your committee acted under the following resolution: 

Resolved^ That a subcommittee of five be appointed by the chairman to visit the 
Naval Academy at once to examine and report upon the discipline and management 
of the academy, especially as they relate to hazing, and to report to this committee 
at the earliest practicable time. 

Your committee went to the Naval Academy, at Annapolis, to com¬ 
mence the investigation on February 13. Previous to our arrival the 
Secretary of the Navy had issued orders to the superintendent of the 
academ}^ Rear-Admiral Sands, that he should order before the com¬ 
mittee any officer or instructor attached to the academy or any mid¬ 
shipman whom the committee desired to hear. As the officers 
appeared before the committee in the line of their duty they were not 
put under oath. The oath was administered to all of the midshipmen, 
however, under authority of act of Congress of June 26, 1884. 

Your committee desires to acknowledge the entire willingness of the 
officers attached to the academy to assist in every way possible the 
desires of the committee in obtaining information. Your committee 
desires also to commend the full, frank, and apparently truthful 
answers given to all interrogatories by the midshipmen. 

Your committee first read the testimony taken by the board of inves¬ 
tigation assembled by Admiral Sands on December 12. This board 
consisted of three of the disciplinary officers of the academy. Their 
sittings as a board continued through seven weeks. This testimony 
was taken under oath. One hundred and twenty-nine midshipmen 
were called before the board. The testimony covers about 600 pages. 
Your committee also read the evidence taken in eleven courts-martial 
held for the trial of midshipmen accused of hazing. Your cornmittee 
has used the information obtained from these sources and has thereby 
saved many weeks of time and the disturbance of the school which 
would result if several hundred midshipmen were called before the 
committee. 

Prepared with the information obtained from these sources, your 
committee called a sufficient number of the officers of the academy and 
of the midshipmen to obtain such further information as it desired. 


440 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Your committee made eveiT effort to obtain evidence tending to show 
connivance at hazing on the part of the officers, lack of vigilance in 
detecting it, or remissness in suppressing it. 

Admiral Sands came to the academy as superintendent in flul v, 1905. 
Captain Colvocoresses, commandant of midshipmen, came at about the 
same time. Nearlj- all of the disciplinary othcers were new to their 
duties, -t 

Upon the return of the upper class men from the practice cruise 
about the 1st of September, 1905, hazing broke out and continued in 
an increasing degree until about December 12, when it culminated in 
the brutal hazing of young Kimbrough to such an extent that he nearly 
lost his life. The testimony taken before the board of investigation 
shows that 60 midshipmen of the first class, 90 of the second class, and 
131 of the third class, a total of 281 midshipmen, were implicated in 
hazing. Your committee is of the opinion that nearly all of the upper 
class men were guilty of hazing in some form and in some degree. 
The enforcement of the present laws, therefore, under the construction 
given to them by the Attorne 3 ^-General would result in expulsion by 
court-martial of nearl}^ all of the upper class men at the academ}^ 
While some might escape on account of lack of proof, nearh^ all are 
guilty in some degree. 

Until the Kimbrough case brought it to light all this hazing wenton 
without discover}" by the disciplinary officers of the academy. The 
cadet officers entirely neglected to perfom their duty to report these 
violations of the law and the regulations of the academy, and even 
took part in hazing themselves. It is not to be inferred, however, that 
this failure of discipline came about suddenly. Until the Kimbrough 
case the affairs of the academy, on the surface, seemed to be moving 
along quietly and peacefully. 

The last annual report of Admiral Brownson, who immediately pre¬ 
ceded Admiral Sands, stated that not a case of hazing had occurred 
during the year, but it is the opinion of your committee that hazing, 
as defined by the Attorney-General, prevailed to nearly or quite the 
extent during Admiral Brownson’s administration that it did during 
the fall months of 1905. The only difference is that physical hazing 
prevailed during the closing months of 1905, while during the pre¬ 
ceding two years hazing, not including physical exercises, but of a 
character more demoralizing, prevailed. At this point your committee 
desires to name and describe the different practices which prevailed 
under the name of hazing, running, fagging, and rates, all of which, 
however, fall within the Attorney-General’s definition of hazing. 

The system of hazing has for its object a double purpose, first, as a 
punishment for the violation of ‘G-ates,” and, second, to establish the 
authority of upper class men over fourth class men. Under the latter 
division were practices ostensibly for the improvement of the fourth 
class men and others evidently designed for the amusement and grati¬ 
fication of the upper class men to the annoyance and humiliation of the 
fourth class men. 

This system of hazing embraces four distinct classes: First, physical 
hazing; second, fagging; third, running, and fourth, rates. To enable 
the committee to understand the nature and character of these prac¬ 
tices imposed by upper class men upon fourth class men a number of 
the things in each class is described below. 


H4ZmG AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


441 


PHYSICAL HAZING. 

The sixteenth.-— exercise is performed by the fourth class man 
standing erect with heels together and hands on hips, dropping down 
to a sitting posture, rising to an erect position, and continuing this 
movement for the number of times required. 

The fifteenth .— This is the same as the sixteenth except the arms are 
extended and a dictionary, dumb-bell, or other weight held in each 
hand. 

Hanging on lockei\ —This consists in hanging b}^ the hands from the 
top of the locker (the midshipman’s wardrobe), with back to the locker 
and legs held horizontally at an angle of 90° from the bod 3 \ 

Leaning rest. —This consists in placing one’s body face down with 
his hands and toes on the floor, holding the body straight, lowering it 
until the abdomen touches the floor, and raising it again. This is 
continued for a specifled number of times. 

Double hypotenuse. —This is similar to- the leaning rest, except the 
hands are placed on the window sill and the feet on the top of a table 
of similar height. 

Standing on head. —This consists of placing the hands and the fore¬ 
head on the floor, raising the feet from 1 to 3 feet from the floor, and 
lowering them again. In one case a fourth class man was required to 
continue this exercise until he became unconscious. 

Doing the cr&io. —This is performed b\" lying flat on the back and 
raising the legs to a perpendicular position; first the right leg, then 
the left, and then botli together. While doing this exercise the yictim 
is not permitted to touch his heels to the floor. 

Sitting on infinity. —This consists in remoying the chair from under¬ 
neath a fourth class man while he is eating his meals and requiring 
him to maintain a sitting posture after the chair has been removed. 

Some of the other forms of physical hazing are designated as the 
admiral’s salute, rabbit dance, etc. All of them are of a character 
which produces muscular weariness and exhaustion if persisted in. 


FAGGING. 

The sj^stem of fagging in force at the Naval Acadeni}^ during the 
past few 3 "ears seems to have been borrowed from the old custom 
practiced in English schools and universities. It is a recent innova¬ 
tion at the Naval Academ 3 % having grown up during the last few 
years. 

In the opinion of your committee, some of the features of this fag¬ 
ging system are even more reprehensible than physical hazing. 
Under this S 3 ^stem it is disclosed that fourth class men are often 
humiliated by upper class men by being required to perform menial 
services. 

Much of this fagging has been of a character which fourth class men 
will not admit was humiliating to them. Following are some of the 
things of this character which fourth class men were required to per¬ 
form for upper class men: 

Wake him in the morning at a set time. 

Close and open his windows at certain hours. 

Call at a fixed time and wind his watch or clock. 

Report in full uniform before breakfast to close a window. 


442 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


These various services were required for weeks at a time, and the 
manner of their performance was varied to suit the whim of the upper 
class man. One upper class man had a squad of fourth class men to 
awaken him in the morning, each member of the squad simulating 
some barnyard fowl—rooster, turkey, guinea, etc. 

This practice of fagging was carried to the extent of requiring fourth 
class men to carry meals from the mess hall to the upper class men’s 
rooms, to mark and handle their soiled linen, and perform other serv¬ 
ices of similar kind. 

RUNNING. 

The practice of running is one which has been in vogue at the 
academy for many years, although in recent years it has been extended 
and amplified in ways which are not creditable. Under this system 
fourth class men are called upon to perform a variet}^ of acts for the 
amusement of upper class men. They are required to tell stories, sing 
songs, and engage in ludicrous performances of various kinds. A 
squad of half a dozen fourth class men were compelled to report to 
an upper class man’s room and there give a realistic performance of 
sunrise on the farm. 

It is shown in the evidence taken before the board of investigation 
that this running occasionally took the disgraceful form of requiring 
fourth class men to tell obscene.stories or to sing obscene songs, and 
in a few instances other obscene and disgraceful acts were required. 
The testimony shows that generally when objection was made to any 
of this the requirements were not insisted upon. 

Some of the practices under the head of running were professedly 
for the improvement of the fourth class men. For instance, to improve 
the bearing of fourth class men the upper class men required them to 
sit on the edge of the chair while eating their meals, and to improve 
their table manners they were forbidden to touch their hands to the 
table. As punishment for violation of this code, established and 
maintained by the upper class men, midshipmen of the fourth class 
were frequently humiliated b}^ being sent under the table at meals, 
and, in a very few instances, had to eat parts of their meal there. 

THE CODE OF ‘‘KATES.” 

The midshipmen of the three upper classes have established a com¬ 
plete code of unauthorized laws setting forth their relations with fourth 
class men and defining the various privileges or “rates” of each class. 
This code is largel}" unwritten, although the first class selects a rate 
committee which formulates a written schedule of rates for each of 
the lower classes. This written code embraces such things as the kind 
of boats which the difierent class men may use in practice, fixing the 
days when each class shall visit the academy barber shop, etc. These 
rules, on the whole, are in themselves not harmful, but they are unau¬ 
thorized by the officers of the academ}^ 

Under the midshipmen’s code of unwritten laws the fourth class man 
is treated as an inferior person. He may not speak socially to any 
upper class man ^except to his “spoon.” It should be explained that 
a “spoon” is an upper class man who takes a friendly interest in some 


HAZING AT THE NAV^AL ACADEMY. 


443 


fourth class man because of their acquaintance before entering the 
a,cademy or by reason of their having come from the same district or 
State. y\ hen the fourth class man speaks to an upper class man on 
business he addresses him as ‘‘sir.” There is a penalt}^ attached for 
even looking at the upper class men. The fourth class man is expected 
to conduct himself toward an upper class man in all respects as he 
would toward a naval officer. 

Under the unwritten code of rates, the privileges of the three upper 
classes are graded according to rank; the fourth class man has no priv¬ 
ileges he does not “rate” aindhing. The fourth class man is pro¬ 
hibited from walking on certain paths in the academy grounds, he 
must turn square corners and not cut the corners, he must not swing 
his arms while walking, he can only enter Bancroft Hall through cer¬ 
tain doors, and when inside of the building he must keep close to the 
wall in passing through the corridors or going up and down the stairs. 
Upon entering the academy the fourth class man, or “plebe” as he is 
more commonly designated, is promptly informed by the upper class 
men of these rates, and any violation of them is punished by hazing in 
a degree to tit the infraction of this self-constituted code. The main¬ 
tenance of this system of rates is the foundation of much of the hazing 
which has been indulged in at the acAdem}^ 

This graduation of rates among the members of the three upper 
classes extends even to the character of hazing which they may inflict 
upon the “plebes.” A third class man can not inflict certain forms of 
hazing which a second class man can bestow, and a first class man can 
indulge in certain hazing practices which are permitted to none of the 
lower class men. It was brought out in the evidence that only a first 
class man enjoyed the privilege of sending a fourth class man under 
the table at meals for an infraction of the unwritten code. 

The whole system of unauthorized rates or privileges is indefensible 
in principle, and its enforcement by unauthorized and unwarranted 
assumption of power is subversive of discipline. 

In March, 1903, Congress passed a law which required “that the 
Superintendent of the Naval Academy shall make such rules as shall 
effectually prevent the practice of hazing.” There is no record that 
Admiral Brownson complied with this law. He did, however, call in 
the members of the first class and require a personel pledge that the}^ 
would not haze. He secured the same promises from the second and 
third classes. He informed the president of each of these classes of 
what he desired, and the classes met and took the desired action. The 
understanding of the midshipmen, however, was that the agreement 
applied to physical hazing onl 3 \ And forms of hazing other than 
physical, but fully as objectionable, rapid 1}^ increased. 

These agreements were obtained under compulsion. The first class 
was informed that in case of refusal it would be sent on board the San¬ 
tee and quartered there. There is no evidence to show that conces¬ 
sions were made in consideration for these promises; but it is a fact that 
some additional privileges were afterwards given. The midshipmen 
were hardl}^ fair in carrying out this promise. They carried out the 
letter of it as defined by themselves, but such practices as requiring 
fourth class men to perform menial services, sending them under the 
table to eat their dinners, and requiring them to tell obscene stories, 
prevailed in an increasing degree. The cadet officers, upon whom the 


444 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


discipline of the academy rests, betrayed the trust reposed in them 
and violated their oaths by failing to report these gross violations of 
the law, of discipline, and of decency. 

Any disobedience by fourth class men to upper class men meant 
that the fourth class •man must light a man selected from tlie upper 
class on account of his skill and courage as a tighter. It rarely hap¬ 
pened that the under class man would win. He was usually younger 
and with little training in athletic exercises. If he should happen to 
win he must fight another and still another upper class man until he 
was beaten. If he refused, his own class would send him to Coventry 
in disgrace. 

A false code of honor grew up among the upper class men, that 
it was incompatible with their dignity to have their names posted upon 
the bulletin board for having violated regulations. The cadet officers, 
therefore, in an increasing degree, failed to report their classmates 
for breaches of discipline. They failed utterl}^ to comprehend the 
trust put into their hands which required them to do their duty 
because it was duty, if it meant the reporting of a roommate for vio¬ 
lation of regulations. They did not appreciate that no amount of 
knowledge of navigation and mathematics would tit a man to become 
the commander of a ship if he did not put the performance of his duty 
above everything else. 

Under these conditions it is evident that but an excuse or a pretext 
was needed to restore the practice of physical hazing. This excuse 
came when Admiral Brownson retired as superintendent of the 
academy. He called in some of the upper class men and the presidents 
of the other classes and informed them that they need not consider 
themselves bound longer by their promise to him; that he considered 
it a personal pledge and he absolved them from it. Your committee 
considers that this was a serious error of judgment. The pledge was 
given to Admiral Brownson as superintendent of the academy. He 
exacted the promise by his authority and power as superintendent. 
It should not be considered in any sense as personal. 

The upper class men at once construed his action as removing all 
restraint against physical hazing. The few upper class men at the 
academy renewed the practice. The glad tidings were sent to the 
upper class men at sea upon their practice cruise. Upon their return 
the joyful practice of requiring fourth class men to do the sixteenth, 
the crew, and to stand upon their heads was resumed with a disposi¬ 
tion to make up for lost time. The upper class men, who, protected 
by the pledge given, had never received physical hazing themselves, 
hazed the under class men with the rest. 

Your committee considers this action of Admiral Brownson as an 
error of judgment only. We believe that he failed to appreciate the 
effect of his action upon the minds of the midshipmen. 

Such knowledge as we have is that Admiral Brownson conscien- 
tiousl}^ performed his duties as superintendent. 

His action was unknown to the incoming superintendent and his 
disciplinaiy officers. They came there in the belief that no hazing 
existed. Other matters absorbed their attention. They were new to 
their duties and unacquainted with the midshipmen. An epidemic of 
diphtheria occurred in September which kept a large number of upper 
classmen away, and it was not until October 14 that the school year 
commenced with a full attendance. From that time until a few da3"S 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


445 


before the Kimbrough case in December nothing occurred to warn 
them that physical hazing was being practiced in the school. 

Your committee will at this point describe the system of discipline 
at Annapolis. These boys are being educated to positions of com¬ 
mand. The basis of military education is discipline. The most impor¬ 
tant element of military education is to learn to perform at all hazards 
the duties which military discipline demands. The theory at Annap¬ 
olis is, then, that the midshipmen shall be largely a self-gov^erning 
bod 3 \ That the cadet otticers, appointed from the first class, shall 
learn to put the performance of duty first and highest. That these 
cadet officers in their last year, just about to graduate from the acad¬ 
emy" and to become officers in the Navy, shall be the disciplinary offi¬ 
cers of the acadeni}^, acting as examples in conduct to the lower class 
men, enforcing the discipline of the academy, not by inflicting pun¬ 
ishment themselves, l)ut by reporting offenses against discipline to 
their superior officers, the naval officers of the academy. 

Under this system the number of naval disciplinarj^ officers who 
have no other duties is verv small. Indeed, until the commencement 
of the present \"ear onlv one naval officer was on dut}" at one time in 
Bancroft Hall, where over nearly 900 midshipmen were quartered. 
He went on duty at 9.15 in the morning and remained on duty for 
twenty-four hours. At 10.30 he retired for the night. The cadet 
officers in charge of each companv were then, as all other times, 
expected to maintain discipline and report violations of regulations to 
the naval disciplinary officer of the day. When we remember that 
Bancroft Hall has fiye floors, that upon these five floors are about 500 
rooms, and that the corridors upon which these rooms open are more 
than 14 miles in length, we can easity understand that hazing to any 
extent could prevail without detection except by the cadet officers, 
unless serious injury should result. In addition to this, access from 
one room to another on the top floor is easy through the dormer 
windows. 

In the mess hall, where boys were sent under the table to eat their 
dinners, and stood on their heads in the aisles, the explanation is 
similar. The mess room is 375 feet in length and 75 feet in width. 
Over 800 boys are seated there for meals. The confusion is 
necessarilv great on account of the conversation of the bo 3 ^s, the 
moving about of a large number of waiters and the clatter of dishes. 
There are over 40 tables with 20 midshipmen at each table. Two 
cadet officers sit at each table in charge. One naval officer only is 
present, sitting at a table about the center of the hall. Many of the 
tables are at his back. He knows nothing of what is going on at the 
ends of the room and behind his back. 

It is evident, then, that the system of discipline in the academy rests 
upon the fidelity of the cadet officers. When they fail in their duty 
the system breaks down. 

The alternative of this would be what may be termed prison disci¬ 
pline, w^here a sufficient number of naval officers would be detailed to 
maintain actual surveillance of the midshipmen. Probably twenty 
officers would be necessary under this plan. The objections to this 
plan would be that we have not the officers who could be spared for this 
purpose. The academy is now short of officers that are urgently needed, 
but are more needed elsewhere in the opinion of the Department. 

But there is a much greater objection. These boys are being fitted 
for high position. Naval officers should not be educated along prison 


446 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


lines. Lives and valuable property will be entrusted to their care, 
perhaps at time of great importance in their country’s life. In this 
school they must acquire habits of self-control. They must be taught 
a high sense of duty and tidelity to trust reposed in them to tit them 
for naval officers. It would seem, therefore, that the present theory 
of maintaining discipline at the academy is the correct one. 

This S 3 ^stem, however, will not work automaticallv- It must not be 
forgotten that these midshipmen are boys; that they average very 
high physicallv and are in robust health; that they are full of animal 
life and spirit. There are nearly 1,000 of them under one roof. 
Sufficient oversight must be had over them to know that the cadet 
officers are performing their duties. A sufficient number of naval 
officers must keep in close touch with them constantly to impress their 
duties upon them. Frequent tests should be made to be sure that the 
system of discipline is in good working order. It would seem to your 
committee that the large number of naval officers who are attached to 
the academy and engaged in instructing and drilling the midshipmen 
and performing other duties connected with the academy" can be made 
a more active force in upholding the discipline of the academy. 

The regulations of the academy require that all officers attached to 
the academy" having knowledge of violation of regulations or of 
improper conduct by midshipmen shall report the facts to the com¬ 
mandant of midshipmen. Our impression is that the officers and 
instructors construe this rule to mean cases of breach of discipline 
occurring in their presence. They should be required to report knowl¬ 
edge or information coming to them tending to show that violations of 
order have taken place. 

We have referred before to the fact that class fighting is the great 
weapon with which the system of hazing is enforced. We are unable 
to find, howev^er, that a large number of class fights take place. The 
threat of one to a fourth class man usuall}" brings obedience. We can 
learn of only one class fight during the present school 3 "ear. The high¬ 
est estimate of fights of all kinds during the past four 3 "ears, given by 
any witness before your committee, was 40. 

The records of the surgeons in the sick quarters show seven fights 
to have been recorded there since October 1, 1904. Cop 3 ^ of the 
record is as follows: 


Number of cases admitted to sick quarters as the result of fighting among midshipmen from 
October i, 1904, to present date. 


Class. 

Date of ad¬ 
mission. 

Nature of injury. 

1. 

Nov. 1,1904 
Jan. 31,1905 
Feb. 1,1905 
Feb. 13,1905 
.do. 

Face bruised. 

Do. 

Do. 

Black eyes. 

Do. 

Eyes injured. 

Face injured. 

Injury to both eyes. 

Do. 

Sprained shoulder. 
Hemorrhage of brain; died. 

2. 

4. 

4. 

2. 

4. 

Feb. 22,1905 
.do. 

4. 

4. 

Mar. 20,1905 
.do. 

4. 

3. 

Nov. 6,1905 
.do. 

2. 




The above is a correct list of all injuries following fighting, for which midshipmen 
were admitted to the sick list. 


J. C. Byrnes, 

Surgeon, U. S. Navy, Senior Medical Officer. 






















HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


447 


The discoveiT of class lio-hting* between fourth class men and an 
upper class man is an almost certain sign that hazing prevails or has 
been attempted. 

Every tight which comes to the attention of an}^ officers attached to 
the acadenn^ should, therefore, be promptly reported to the disciplin¬ 
ary officers for investigation. 

Your committee tinds that the surgeons in the sick quarters do not 
understand that it is their duty to make a report of lights coming to 
their notice, nor to make any special inquiries to determine if injuries 
brought in for treatment were caused by lighting, unless the injuiy 
should be of a serious nature, as in the Branch-Meriwether tight. 

The midshipman before the committee testified that they felt that 
they could go to sick quarters for shelter from observation and to be 
treated for injuries received in lights without being reported. This 
should be corrected. We were assured by Admiral Sands that orders 
would be issued to make this information available to the disciplinary 
officers. If the bo 3 ^s should fail to go to sick quarters for treatment 
of a bruised face, for example, their appearance would be noticed in 
class room or drill and reported by the officers or instructors. 

Your committee, after the most careful investigation, has been unable 
to find anv evidence showing that there was any connivance at hazing 
on the part of the disciplinaiy officers of the school or anv remissness 
in eli'ort to suppress it with but one exception, and this exception was 
not of a serious nature. Lieutenant Sn 3 ffier was assigned temporarily 
to duty as a disciplinarv officer fora few weeks last summer. He had 
the fourth class men out for drill. An official order was read at which 
nearly the whole class laughed. Lieutenant Snyder felt tliat he could 
not report the whole class for punishment, and 3 ^et some punishment 
should be given. 

The upper class men who stood by testif 3 ^ that thev understood the 
lieutenant to sa 3 " that the class should receive a setting up, and that he 
would be absent from Bancroft Hall during the afternoon. Lieutenant 
Sn 3 "der denies that he told them he would be absent and that he intended 
any such meaning as the upper class men gave to his words. It is a 
fact, however, that he was absent from the hall for an hour and a half 
during the afternoon without any business elsewhere, and that during 
his absence the lower class men were generall 3 ^ hazed by the upper class 
men who heard the remarks. It was an unfortunate incident, coming 
near the commencement of the school 3 "ear, because it strengthened the 
impression in the minds of the upper class men that ph 3 ^sical hazing 
could again prevail. 

Your committee is of the opinion that the growth of hazing in recent 
years at Annapolis has been due very largely to the changing condi¬ 
tions of the school. During that time ten millions of dollars have 
been spent in erecting new buildings and tearing down old ones. During 
some of the time the midshipmen have been Svided among different 
buildings, entailing a lack of supervision ly^ naval officers. 

Again, the number of midshipmen has been increased during the 
past three years until instead of having 300 about 900 midshipmen are 
now quartered there. No change was made until the present year 
in the number of disciplinary officers or the system of maintaining 
discipline. This lack of supervision encouraged any tendency among 
the cadet officers to neglect their duty since such neglect remained 
undiscovered. 


448 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Your coiiunittee is satisfied that no hazing- is practiced there at the 
present time and has not been since early in December last. We ate 
also satisfied that Admiral Sands will keep it out of the school under 
the system which he has inaugurated if given proper support. Under 
the present S 3 "stem Admiral Sands has assigned four officers, especially 
selected and adapted for this work, as disciplinarv officers. They have 
no other duties. The brigade of midshipmen is divided into four 
divisions and one of these officers assigned to each division. 

Each officer has his office in that part of Bancroft Hall occupied by 
his division. lie inspects their rooms. He establishes close relations 
with them. The}^ come to him for the permits and privileges which 
may be granted them. He becomes acquainted with them, knows 
their names, their faces, and the room where each belongs. At the 
end of six months he ought to be able to tell those who are studious 
and well behaved and he has discovered the few who are the trouble 
makers of the division and need close attention. Every day these 
officers meet and consult with the commandant of cadets, their superior 
officer. The commandant also devotes his entire time to the disci¬ 
pline of the academv, reporting to the superintendent. 

Your committee is of opinion that the number of disciplinar\" officers 
in command of divisions should be increased to six. When the school 
is full this would give about 160 midshipmen to each division. It 
seems to the committee that this is a large enough number if the officer 
is to have the close knowledge and acquaintance which we think should 
be established with the midshipmen. 

In answer to a request for his opinion upon the system of hazing, 
Admiral Sands gave the following answer: 

I consider the term “hazing” to embrace all forms of running and fagging (or 
menial service), as well as what may be specifically called physical hazing; in brief, 
any and all forms of unauthorized or illegal requirements of under class men by upper 
class men, since all such requirements tend to lower the self-respect of the victim, 
and to restrict him in the exercise of his personal rights and liberty. 

In my opinion, hazing is both cowardly and ungentlemanly; cowardly, because it 
is taking advantage of one more or less helpless and defenseless; ungentlemanly 
because it is cowardly. For both reasons it is entirely at variance with the ideas 
and rules of conduct that should prevail in the formation of a naval officer. 

I consider that cowardliness in hazing exists in both the perpetrator and the 
coerced victim; in the former, because he counts upon the defenselessness and non- 
resistance of the latter; in the latter, because he permits himself to be cowed and 
coerced without self-assertion of his rights—without resistance. 

The superintendent of midshipmen and other disciplinaiy officers 
were equally expli(*it in their answers. Your committee is satisfied 
that no effort will be spared on the part of the superintendent, com¬ 
mandant of midshipmen, and disciplinary officers to suppress hazing 
in all its forms in the school. Superintendent Sands has prepared an 
entire new set of regulations for the government of the academy^ and 
is only waiting to see if there will be any change in the law before 
promulgating them. He has adopted in full the West Point regula¬ 
tions which were suggested by the outbreak of hazing there in 1900- 
1901. The superintendent will keep in existence, during his stay in 
the academy, the board of investigation. This is a powerful weapon 
with which to detect and suppress hazing. This board wll be assem¬ 
bled at irregular intervals, a sufficient number of midshipmen called 
before it, and their evidence taken under oath as to violations of dis- 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


449 


cipline. This plan has broken up hazing at West Point during the 
past four years. 

The opinion of the midshipmen as a body upon this subject is not 
wholly satisfactory. The tendency among them is ver}^ strong to 
follow what are termed the traditions of the academy. We desire, 
however, especially to commend the action of the senior class, the class 
which will be the first class during the next school year. This class 
niet during the visit of your committee at Annapolis and resolved to 
discourage and discountenance all forms of hazing including class fight¬ 
ing, running, and the performance of menial service. This action in 
itself effectual!}^ stops hazing during the next school year. All cadet 
officers are appointed from this class and hazing can not go on without 
their knowledge. The action b}^ the senior class ma 3 " be accepted 
without reserve, as we find that l 3 dng is the one thing above all others 
which the midshipmen as a body will not tolerate. 

The third class, which will be the second class at the commencement 
of the next school 3 "ear, has taken no action. They den 3 ^ that their 
unwillingness to declare as a class against hazing means defiance of 
the law and of public opinion or an intention not to obe 3 " the law. 
The 3 ' sa 3 ^ that the first class having taken action, an 3 ^ action by their 
class is unnecessary. Your committee is of opinion, however, that 
action 1 ) 3 ^ this class was discouraged by four or five members of the 
class who are strong in influence, if not in scholarship. Several of 
these young men appeared before the committee and defended hazing, 
declaring, of course, in favor of moderate hazing onl 3 ". Their atten¬ 
tion was called to the fact that every outbreak of hazing, both at 
Annapolis and West Point, has ended in the death or serious injury of 
one or more men; that the 3 ^ were attending a Government school to grad¬ 
uate into Government service, and that therefore the ideas of the Gov¬ 
ernment should prevail; that Congress and the country were strongly 
against hazing. These facts did not seem to shake their faith. This 
class should receive close attention from the disciplinaiw authorities 
during their stay in the school, and an 3 ^ attempts at hazing should be 
put down with the strong hand. 

Your committee finds among the present fourth class (the ‘‘plebes”), 
which has been hazed so much during the present school year, a 
disposition to consider hazing a rather useful system. Some of them 
denied that they considered it humiliating to be sent under the table 
at meals or to be made to stand on their heads. 

This feeling will exist until one freshman class shall come into the 
academy, pass through the various classes, and graduate without 
being hazed or hazing others during that time. 

Your committee has no hesitation in sa 3 dng that it considers that the 
present laws upon this subject, b}^ reason of their comprehensiveness 
and their severity, are a hindrance rather than a help in suppressing 
hazing. The definition given by the Attorney-General is as follows: 

The offense of hazing consists of any unauthorized assumption of authority by one 
midshipman over another midshipman, whereby the last-mentioned midshipman 
shall or may suffer, or be exposed to suffer, any cruelty, indignity, humiliation, 
hardship, or oppression, or the deprivation or abridgment of any right, privilege, or 
advantage to which he shall be legallv’’ entitled. 

The history of the courts of the English-speaking race shows that 
severity of punishment which is out of proportion to the offense makes 
LI. Doc. 690, 59-1-29 


450 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


the apprehension and conviction of the offender more difficult. When 
sheep stealing in England was punishable by death more sheep were 
stolen than at present. If stealing an apple from a street stand and 
stealing $10,000 from a bank counter were each punishable by ten 
years’ imprisonment, the boys could steal apples unwhipped of justice. 
The sweeping definition of the acts of Congress upon hazing, and the 
definition must necessarily be broad, makes of many petty acts, hardly 
worthy of notice, serious offenses punishable by dismissal from the 
acadeni}' at the hands of a court-martial. If an upper class man directs 
a fourth class man to bring him an apple from the mess hall he is sub¬ 
ject at present to court-martial for hazing, liable to be dismissed from 
the academy, his career ruined, and the thousands of dollars invested 
in him lost to the Government. 

It seems to your committee that a number of demerits or the loss of 
some privilege would better fit the offense. It is doubtful if Congress 
had in mind the broad definition of these laws, which requires dis¬ 
missal for petty offenses. This was shown in the action of Congress 
in the case of the three midshipmen who were dismissed from the 
academy in the fall of 1908 for hazing. Congress passed a law per¬ 
mitting these boys to be appointed into the service, although not 
restoring them to the academy, on the ground that the punishment 
already received was commensurate with the offense. 

There is no dispute an^^where that midshipmen showing a mean, 
cruel, and brutal spirit, whether b}^ hazing or otherwise, should be 
promptly dismissed from the academy. As naval officers they would 
be a scourge to their men during life, causing discontent and deser¬ 
tions from their ships. Cruelty is not often an attribute of a brave 
man. Your committee is of opinion that the laws should be amended 
so that each case of hazing can be punished as it deserves. A mid¬ 
shipman who hazes another midshipman until he is unconscious and 
his life endangered, as in the Kimbrough case, should not onl}^ be dis¬ 
missed from the academy, but receive appropriate additional punish¬ 
ment besides. If dismissed only he walks away with a good educa¬ 
tion provided by the Government and veiy little stain upon his 
character. 

But it seems absurd to 3 "our committee that pettv offenses ailsing 
out of boyish fun should be put in the same categoiy. Acts of Con¬ 
gress can not make men out of 16 and 17 year old bo^^s. The}^ should 
be punished as the^^ deserve in each case, receiving demerits, loss of 
privileges, or such other punishment as the authoilties may impose. 
Under this S 3 ^stem acts of hazing, even of a minor degree, would, if 
persisted in, take a bov out of the academy. Under the demerit sys¬ 
tem now in vogue at the academy, when a first class man receives fSO 
demerits, a second class man 200 demerits, a third class man 250 
demerits, and a fourth class man 300 demerits for misconduct of anv 
kind during the year he is liable to dismissal. A first class man, then, 
receiving 100 demerits for a minor act of hazing would understand 
that he was on dangerous ground and would be careful about repeating 
the offense. 

Your committee desires to be understood as strong!}^ opposed to the 
system of hazing. Our investigation has convinced us that the S 3 ^stem, 
if unchecked, invariably leads to grave abuses and serious injury to 
under class men. These recommendations are made in the firm belief 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


451 


that these changes in the law will make it much more efficient in sup¬ 
pressing the system than the inflexible severity of the present law. 

The frequent changes inade in Superintendent, commandant of mid¬ 
shipmen, and the disciplinaiy officers, are a great detriment to the 
efficiency of the school, especially along the lines of discipline. A 
3 ^ear is not too much to enable one of these officers to obtain the close 
knowledge of the character and disposition of each midshipman neces¬ 
sary to do the best work. Not all men have the natural aptitude to 
enable them to handle the discipline of a large school successfully. 
\\ hen found, they are kept indefinitely in all the large schools of the 
country. The Supei^dntendent and other disciplinary officers should 
be kept at Annapolis for a term of at least four years, and longer, if 
possible. Not all of them should be changed at one time. 

Congressional interference is one of the difficulties in enforcing dis¬ 
cipline at Annapolis. The Congress makes by law the highest stand¬ 
ard of conduct and punishes violation by severe penalties. But too 
often (.Congressmen seem to believe that these laws are made to apply 
to midshipmen from other districts than their own. Urged doubtless 
by pressure from home, they seek through the‘Secretary of the Navy 
or the President to save their midshipmen from the punishment pro¬ 
vided by act of Congress or hy the superintendent of the academy. 
Every time the action of the superintendent is set aside by outside 
influence his usefulness and authorit}^ in the school are impaired. 

Under the present hazing law, where the punishment is so far out 
of proportion to many of the oflenses, much justification may be found 
for outside interference, because the superintendent has no discretion 
under the law; he must summons a court-martial and tiy eveiy offense 
coming to his knowledge, no matter how trivial. Several midshipmen 
who appeared before the committee were asked when they first knew 
that hazing is an offense against an act of Congress. They replied 
that it was when the three midshipmen were expelled for hazing in 
the fall of 1903. They were equally well informed that these young 
men were restored to the service through act of Congress. 

Your committee believes that each incoming class at the academy 
should receive special instructions upon the laws and regulations 
relating to hazing, and should be instructed that it is their right and 
duty to resist hazing and to report it to the proper authorities. 

The authorities at the academy should be commended for their 
prompt and energetic action upon the discovery that hazing existed in 
the school. The investigation was thorough and efficient. At its 
conclusion' the superintendent immediately complied with the law by 
summoning a court-martial and putting the ofl'ending midshipmen on 
trial. Nine midshipmen were found guilty and sentenced to dismissal. 
In several of these cases the punishment of dismissal seems not too 
great for the nature of the hazing. In others dismissal seemed too 
severe and the President has intervened with a pardon. In others 
sentence has been suspended. 

The courts-martial have been suspended, pending this investigation, 
at the request of the Naval Committee. Unless the law is changed 
the superintendent must again convene the court-martial and try all 
the remaining midshipmen who are implicated. Some midshipmen 
were under arrest when the court-martial adjourned and are unable to 
attend recitations. This uncertainty is unfavorable to school work. 


452 


HAZING AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY. 


Your committee suggests that if the hazing law is to be amended it 
should be taken up by the Committee on Naval, Affairs and a law 
which commends itself to the committee should be brought before the 
House at the earliest practicable moment. 

Edward B, Vreeland, 

Chairman^ 

George A. Loud, 

Albert F. Dawson, 

Lemuel P. Padgett, 
Alexander W. Gregg, 
Suhcommittee of Committee on Naval Affairs. 




INDEX TO WITNESSES. 


Page. 

Alger, r. R., Prof., U. S. Navy. 425 

Buchanan, Allen, Lieut., U. S. Navy. 404 

Byrnes, James C., Surg., U. S. Navy. 316 

Campbell, John Clement, midshipman. 420 

Carmichael, Andrew Williams, midshipman. 352 

Colvocoresses, G. P., Capt., U. S. Navy. 124 

Decker, B. C., Lieut. Commander, U. S. Navy. 332 

Douglas, Archibald Hugh, midshipman. 109 

Douglas, Archibald Hugh, midshipman, additional statement. 349 

Donavin, Kirkwood Harry, midshipman... 376 

Donelson, John Findley, midshipman. 390 

Durell, E. H., Lieut. Commander, U. S. Navy. 249 

Garcelon, Arthur Alton, midshipman. 264 

Hayes, William Parsons, midshipman. 286 

Humphrey, Churchill, midshipman. 57 

Irish, James McCredie, midshipman. 414 

]Magruder, Cary Withall, midshipman. 418 

Markland, Henry Thomas, midshipman... 382 

McClain, John Franklin, midshipman. 422 

McVay, C. B., Lieut. Commander. 189 

Roberts, Frank Hamilton, midshipman. 305 

Sands, James H., Rear-Admiral, tJ. S. Navy. 3 

Sands, James H., Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy, additional statement. 395 

Snyder, C. P., Lieut., U. S. Navy. 161 

Stone, E. P., Surg., U. S. Navy. 42 

Stone, Raymond, IJeut., U. S. Navy. 406 

Stone, Raymond, Lieut., additional statement. 437 

Turner, Richmond Kelly, midshipman. 358 

Welsh, Luther, midshipman. 385 

Wiley, H. A., Lieut. Commander, U. S. Navy. 407 

Wilkinson, Theodore Stark, midshipman. 95 

Williams, Joseph Ralph. 226 


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